Google Offering $1000 To Hack Popular Apps
Google has found an interesting way to improve the security of its Android mobile operating system with its Google Play bug bounty program. Under the program, the tech giant is offering $1,000 to people who can hack popular Android apps such as Dropbox, Snapchat, and Tinder.
Dubbed the "Google Play Security Reward" program, it aims to get researchers to work directly with Android app developers to find vulnerabilities. Helping a developer find a bug entitles the hacker to the "bounty" as well as any extra the third party developer might pay themselves.
Google has previously hosted similar programs before however, this is the first time that it has partnered with individual developers. Currently, 13 of the most popular app developers are part of the program including Tinder, Duolingo, DropBox, Snapchat, Head Space, MyMail among others.
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The rules of the hunt are simple. Once a bug or vulnerability is discovered in one of the 13 participating apps, researchers can report this to the developer. Once the issue has been fixed, the developer will pay them with Google adding $1,000 extra.
The program currently operates on a first-come-first-serve basis meaning that only the first person will be able to collect the bounty. In addition to fixing issues, Gooogle will also be collecting data and sharing it with other app developers in order to help them address similar issues.
While it might seem counter-productive for developers to encourage people to hack their apps, this is actually a very important industry practice. Dubbed "ethical hacking" or "white hat hacking," it allows developers to find and address potential bugs and vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by criminals.
Some people make a pretty good living through ethical hacking especially when companies are willing to pay big money for such services. One of the largest bug bounties was offered by Microsoft when it increased its bug bounty reward from $50,000 to $100,000 back in 2015.
Considering the potential losses posed by possible breach of security, companies paying ethical hackers huge sums of money are very much preferable. With today's commerce being conducted via the Internet, data security can often make or break a company's reputation, and by extension, its profits.
