Responsible Disclosure Programs

(OBJ .)

Responsible Disclosure

• Ethical practice for disclosing vulnerabilities in software, hardware, or online services
• The goal is to provide stakeholders time to address vulnerabilities before public disclosure
• Process
  • Security researcher privately notifies the organization
  • Researcher and organization agree on a timeframe for public disclosure
  • After addressing the vulnerability or the agreed timeframe, the researcher discloses the information publicly

Bug Bounty Programs

• Robust responsible disclosure programs incentivizing security researchers
• Offer monetary rewards for validated vulnerabilities
• Programs can be run internally or facilitated through platforms like HackerOne, Bugcrowd, and Synack
• Benefits
  • Increased security through external scrutiny
  • Community collaboration
  • Cost-effectiveness (pay for found vulnerabilities)
• Challenges
  • Clear communication
  • Legal protections
  • Rules of engagement

Best Practices for Effective Programs

• Clearly define the program's scope
• Establish proper communication channels for reporting
• Set up a reward structure aligned with vulnerability risk
• Create legal safeguards for security researchers
• Define timeframes for vulnerability acknowledgment, validation, and remediation
• Promote transparency to share lessons learned with the community and industry