Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • 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
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • 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
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Bug Bounties Fail to Find Many Software Flaws, Researchers Say

    Written by

    Robert Lemos
    Published April 20, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      An analysis of the market for buying and selling previously unknown software flaws, known as zero-day vulnerabilities, suggests that paying researchers to privately disclose security bugs to the developer works best to deplete the pool of easy-to-find flaws.

      The research was conducted by economics and policy researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Facebook and vulnerability-management service provider HackerOne.

      By using a type of analysis known as system dynamics modeling, the researchers studied the incentives for each of the people or parties involved in the software development and vulnerability mitigation processes.

      The researchers found that paying security specialists, whether with kudos or cash, does work, but primarily by finding and removing from the vulnerability pool the low-hanging fruit of software security—the easy-to-find bugs.

      “Incentives can be anything—even recognition and acknowledgment works for some,” Katie Moussouris, chief policy officer for HackerOne, told eWEEK. “There are more and more opportunities for people to make cash. But bug bounties alone are not the more efficient way to drain the offensive pool.”

      However, paying security specialists to create tools to find classes of vulnerabilities had a more significant impact on software security in the model. Essentially, rather than buying the fruit of researchers’ labors, defenders should pay for the tools used to harvest the proverbial fruit.

      Security researchers, hackers and software developers have debated the appropriate way to disclose flaws—and improve software security—for more than two decades. While disclosing flaws has embarrassed many software companies and induced them to take software security more seriously, publicizing vulnerabilities can also lead to breaches and harm customers.

      After many years of debate, researchers and software companies have reached a digital detente known as coordinated disclosure, where researchers give software vendors a reasonable chance to fix a flaw and software companies work with researchers in good faith to fix the issue.

      Moussouris worked with Michael Siegel and James Houghton at MIT’s Sloan School, and Ryan Ellis at Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy. Collin Greene at Facebook, which sponsored the research, provided additional research and input into the modeling.

      The researchers found that the “many eyes” theory espoused by open-source advocates only can eliminate so many bugs. After a point, automated bug hunting technology—defensive tools—are needed to efficiently find flaws.

      Using bug bounties and rewards for defensive-tool research will eliminate many of the basic security holes that allow criminal attacks. But offensive efforts by groups with deep pockets—such as national intelligence programs—will remain unaffected, according to Moussouris. The researchers producing exploitable vulnerabilities at that level are less likely to use mass-market tools and more likely to use their in-depth knowledge of the target systems, she said.

      “Most of the offensive finders don’t use a lot of tools in their work,” Moussouris said. “They have a knack for finding vulnerabilities that are not tool-based, but defenders rely on the tools.”

      Robert Lemos
      Robert Lemos
      Robert Lemos is an award-winning journalist who has covered information security, cybercrime and technology's impact on society for almost two decades. A former research engineer, he's written for Ars Technica, CNET, eWEEK, MIT Technology Review, Threatpost and ZDNet. He won the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2003 for his coverage of the Blaster worm and its impact, and the SANS Institute's Top Cybersecurity Journalists in 2010 and 2014.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      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.
      © 2024 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.