Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Apple Launches Bug Bounty Program, Offers Up to $200,000 for Software Vulnerabilities Discovered
At today's Black Hat Conference, an annual event designed for the global InfoSec community, Apple's head of security engineering Ivan Krstic announced the launch of a bug bounty program that will see Apple paying money to individuals who discover major bugs and security flaws in the company's software.
Many major technology companies like Google and Microsoft offer bug bounty programs to encourage people to discover and report major vulnerabilities, but until now, Apple has declined to provide a similar program.
According to TechCrunch, Apple's new bug bounty program is part of Apple's effort to open up to hackers, researchers, and cryptographers who want to help improve the company's security.
Apple will be offering bounties of up to $200,000 to researchers depending on the vulnerability that's discovered. Secure boot firmware components will earn $200,000 at the high end, while smaller vulnerabilities, like access from a sandboxed process to user data outside of the sandbox, will earn $25,000.
The program will be invite only for the time being, limited to a few dozen researchers. Apple plans to make it more open as it grows, and if a non-member discovers a significant bug, they'll be invited to the program.
Many major technology companies like Google and Microsoft offer bug bounty programs to encourage people to discover and report major vulnerabilities, but until now, Apple has declined to provide a similar program.
At #BlackHat2016, Apple just announced a new Security Bounty program and has promised to prioritize pushing updates. pic.twitter.com/1jXW1tNMrb
— Jay Freeman (saurik) (@saurik) August 4, 2016
According to TechCrunch, Apple's new bug bounty program is part of Apple's effort to open up to hackers, researchers, and cryptographers who want to help improve the company's security.
Apple will be offering bounties of up to $200,000 to researchers depending on the vulnerability that's discovered. Secure boot firmware components will earn $200,000 at the high end, while smaller vulnerabilities, like access from a sandboxed process to user data outside of the sandbox, will earn $25,000.
Although each category of vulnerability maxes out at the given rate, Apple will determine the exact reward amount based on several factors: the clarity of the vulnerability report; the novelty of the problem and the likelihood of user exposure; and the degree of user interaction necessary to exploit the vulnerability.Apple plans to launch its new bug bounty program in September. To be eligible for a reward as part of the program, researchers will need to provide proof-of-concept on the latest versions of iOS and the company's newest hardware. Apple will also encourage researchers to donate their earnings to charity and will match all bug bounty donations.
The program will be invite only for the time being, limited to a few dozen researchers. Apple plans to make it more open as it grows, and if a non-member discovers a significant bug, they'll be invited to the program.
[ 82 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
40 months ago
I discovered a bug in Apple's Mac update schedule. The Mac never seems to update. Can I collect $200,000?
40 months ago
I discovered a bug in Apple's Mac update schedule. The Mac never seems to update. Can I collect $200,000?
And that's why its invite only...
40 months ago
$200,000 is a great incentive to help detect these issues. Hopefully it's successful.
40 months ago
The incredibly buggy new OS releases shows that Apple is no longer capable of doing it in-house - going the OUTSOURCING route.
Not quite, doesn't matter how many gifted employees you have in-house you'll never catch everything. A familiar work environment breeds a familiar way of thinking, sometimes you need someone to take a look at code from a completely different perspective and it's amazing what can be spotted hiding in plain sight. Happens in all walks of life.
Increasing the number of eyes on their systems with a financial incentive is a really efficient and effective way of catching security flaws.
40 months ago
Can no longer do it in-house - going the OUTSOURCING route.
Oh come on... Most other companies "outsource" it... Its smart business.
40 months ago
Great idea. iOS will always be more secure than Android, and this will only further that gap.
40 months ago
They can't even get stability right...maybe that power point will end up with "error...ppt slide reloaded."
Apple is now outsourcing.....rewarding hackers to protect the company's reputation.
Oh joy, somebody who doesn't understand how programming works or why bug bounties are out there.
40 months ago
Shame Apple's own workers don't know how to fix bugs. You'd think they'd be paid to fix them.
It sure is popular to hate on iOS developers these days without putting any real thought into it. Congrats.
40 months ago
The end of jailbreaking
And if it means a more secure device, I don't know why anyone would be against it.
[ Read All Comments ]
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Vessel to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Signature 2.0 Backpack.
Vessel makes all kinds of backpacks, briefcases, and bags, but...
Discounts on the latest iMacs remain ongoing this month, with Amazon and B&H Photo now offering a new all-time-low price on the 27-inch Retina iMac with 8GB RAM and a 1TB Fusion Drive. This model...
Google and Apple calendars are not playing friendly right now.
As alerted to us by multiple MacRumors readers, there appears to be a syncing issue with Google Calendar and Apple's...
Apple Music today launched a new curated playlist called "New Music Daily," which as the name suggests, is updated every day with fresh songs.
Made up of "new music you simply...
Taylor Swift revealed today on Instagram that she will be the next partner in Apple's "Music Lab" sessions, which are available in Apple retail stores.
The Music Lab session will...
Satechi today announced the Type-C Dual Multimedia Adapter, which plugs into two of the MacBook Pro's USB-C ports to offer a handful of add-on ports.
In total, this includes: one 4K HDMI...
Spotify today announced that it is extending its free-trial period for Spotify Premium to three months, up from the previous one month that users would have to try out the paid service. With this...
OtterBox today announced a new expandable wireless charging system that it calls "OtterSpot," which includes one charging base that can power up multiple batteries and a smartphone...
