Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Blogs
    • Security Watch

    Do You Want a Shirt With Your Vulnerability Report?

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    October 5, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Security research should not be a thankless task; it should be a task that is celebrated, rewarded and, more importantly, acted on with all the necessary expediency that a given piece of research might deserve.

      A number of events occurred this week that show how different groups value and act on security research at very different rates. On the browser front, Microsoft continues to be pummeled with an Internet Explorer (IE) zero-day flaw that is now being actively exploited. That’s two weeks after Microsoft first learned about the issue and—still—no patch.

      Microsoft revealed that as part of its October Patch Tuesday update set to be available on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the flaw known as CVE-2013-3893 would be patched. Sure, Microsoft had a “Fix-It” temporary fix available for IE, but the reality is that many users don’t know about updates until they are made available on Patch Tuesday via the Windows Update system. Tens of millions of IE users have potentially been at risk for two weeks, and in my view that’s just a totally unacceptable situation.

      In contrast, Mozilla, the vendor behind the open-source Firefox Web browser, this week revealed that it too was at risk from a security vulnerability. Mozilla’s director of security assurance, Michael Coats (whom eWEEK caught up with for a video interview recently), noted in a blog post that on Sept. 24 Mozilla was notified of a security vulnerability in its Persona authentication system. That security notification came in by way of Mozilla’s bug bounty program that rewards researchers for responsibly disclosing security research information. Within seven days of the disclosure (and without an attack in the wild), Mozilla developers issued an update that fixed the issue.

      That’s seven days, not 14, and it came with a reward for the research too.

      Mozilla’s rewards to security researchers are not just a handshake and a slap on the back. Mozilla pays cash. It’s something that Yahoo is now set to do as well.

      You see until this point, Yahoo has been recognizing those who help out with security research by sending them a T-shirt.

      “Out with t-shirts that I buy,” Ramses Martinez, director at Yahoo, wrote in a tumblr post this week. “We will now reward individuals and firms that identify what we classify as new, unique and/or high risk issues between $150 – $15,000. The amount will be determined by a clear system based on a set of defined elements that capture the severity of the issue.”

      T-shirts are all fine and nice, but cash is better and actually fixing flaws quickly to secure users is even better.

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×