Protecting a company from online threat actors is a very challenging task. On top of that, when it’s the employees that are responsible for data security breaches, the condition only gets worse. Having said that, there are a lot of advanced cybersecurity techniques to protect the company’s devices like a recorder from getting hacked. The reason that it is important to protect such devices that have sensitive information stored in them is that if hackers find out how to hack your company’s recorder, they will get remote access to the device. They will then use the hacked device to attack other systems too.
Protecting an entire organization from such data thefts can be best done by people who have the same amount of brains and same skill sets that online threat actors have. And those people are known as ethical hackers. You can hire ethical hackers so that they can scan the code of the OS that your company uses. The reason that this particular practice is followed even by companies like Google and Facebook is that ethical hackers constantly find, report, and patch bugs before an online threat hacker can exploit those vulnerabilities.
This entire procedure of locating and inviting white hat hackers (ethical hackers) is known as bug bounty programs. Like the name suggests, you have to offer a bounty in exchange for the services that these people provide. However, there’s a protocol that has to be followed to ensure that you are not putting the assets of your company in the wrong hands.
- Sending Invitations
Remember, ethical hackers are usually a part of a community that works to keep the internet safe for users. So, accept only those hackers that belong to the community you have actually invited.
- Contract Signing
It is important to sign a legal contract with the white hat hackers before giving them an access to the company’s data. Do not ever overlook this particular step since it binds the ethical hackers to practice their skills within the limits that you find safe. For example, once a white hat hacker signs the contract, he/she will be bound by law to use only those scanning tools that you approve.
- Communication is the Key
The ethical hackers you’re hiring should be informed about the following things before the contract is signed.
- The type and amount of bounty will be decided by you.
- They will not be paid for vulnerabilities that have already been detected.
- The amount of bounty to be paid will depend upon the severity of the bug found.
- Lastly, they will not be allowed to make a vulnerability public as long as it is patched and released for installation.
On a closing note, ethical hackers can make the entire difference in the end. So, having them as a part of your web security team is always a welcome idea.