A bug bounty hunter is someone who understands the ins and outs of cybersecurity and is skilled at detecting bugs and weaknesses. Simply defined, a bug bounty hunter examines apps and platforms for bugs that even the in-house development team may overlook. When these professionals find a bug, they report it to the company (or the responsible authority behind the application or platform) and get compensated for their efforts. The advantages aren’t usually monetary in nature.

The concept of a bug bounty is not new, but it has gained hold in India during the previous decade. A bug bounty hunter is not restricted to working for a particular client or firm; instead, all they have to do is find defects and submit them to the appropriate authorities. But why don’t businesses create an in-house bug-hunting team? The rationale behind this is that when a large number of hackers (white hats) are trying to uncover a defect, the chances of the problem being solved fast and easily are substantially higher.

And, if you think about it, firms don’t have to pay their in-house staff on a monthly basis; instead, they can hire people to help them find all the problems and reward them with benefits.

How To Become A Bug Bounty Hunter

Before we get started on how to become a bug bounty hunter, having a cybersecurity expertise or a good understanding of vulnerability assessment will be beneficial.

This is the first and most important item to perform before diving into the getting started process, regardless of the domain. Look for trends in the bug bounty sector, such as what platforms are used, what hacking methods are used, and what tools are used, and so on. This will give you an idea of how to go about getting started as a bug bounty hunter. Cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL Injection, Business Logic, and Information Gathering are some of the major areas to concentrate on.

Training And Education

Cybersecurity is a broad subject that cannot be grasped in a few days. When it comes to studying the ins and outs of vulnerability assessment, people either take a quick course or enroll in a full-fledged course. However, it is entirely up to you and how quickly you want to learn.

You can always enrol in full-time cybersecurity training, such as CEH, if you want to take things a step further. And just because you’re enrolled in a full-time programme doesn’t mean you can’t employ the practical approach. When you first begin to gather expertise, you should start with various online bug bounty programmes.

Another way to learn the game is to read POCs written by other hackers or to watch YouTube lessons. It’s also regarded as one of the most effective strategies to broaden your horizons. When it comes to practising vulnerability assessment or penetration testing, this is one of the most important things to remember. While training colleges give you with a practise platform, self-taught professionals may find it difficult. It is not legal to hack into random websites or platforms on the internet. As a result, setting up a virtual system to practise your talents is always a good idea. You can also try practising on bug bounty programmes on your own. You examine all of the previous year’s bugs, as well as the tactics employed.