Balancing Secrecy and Transparency in Bug Bounty Programs.

Bug bounty programs (BBPs) allow ethical hackers to identify software vulnerabilities, helping vendors fix flaws before they’re exploited—but vendors often control disclosure, creating a lack of transparency. This secrecy can delay patches, obscure software quality, and leave users uninformed about...

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Publicado en:Communications of the ACM Vol. 68; no. 8; pp. 20 - 24
Autores principales: Telang, Rahul, Hydari, Muhammad Zia
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Association for Computing Machinery Aug2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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          Telang, Rahul
          Hydari, Muhammad Zia
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          Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
          University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
      su:
        Computer hackers
        Computer security vulnerabilities
        Internet security
        Computer security laws
        Organizational transparency
        Computer ethics
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          Computer hackers
          Computer security vulnerabilities
          Internet security
          Computer security laws
          Organizational transparency
          Computer ethics
      ab: Bug bounty programs (BBPs) allow ethical hackers to identify software vulnerabilities, helping vendors fix flaws before they’re exploited—but vendors often control disclosure, creating a lack of transparency. This secrecy can delay patches, obscure software quality, and leave users uninformed about security risks. While BBPs offer clear benefits, such as reducing uncoordinated disclosures and incentivizing ethical behavior, they also reinforce market asymmetries. The article argues for mandatory disclosure standards and stronger government oversight to balance transparency with vendor incentives, ultimately strengthening cybersecurity and user trust.
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    language: English
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