Companies with a heavy online presence often employ so-called ‘white-hat’ hackers to discover vulnerabilities in websites and connected company systems. Hiring these hackers can be costly. Instead, companies should consider ‘robo-hackers’: automated software designed to test internal systems’ security. These can be a valuable first step to strengthening systems before hiring hackers to uncover vulnerabilities.
Stephen Urquhart, general manager ANZ, Ixia, said, “There are currently hundreds of bug bounty programs, where security hackers are asked to find vulnerabilities. Many are run by internet giants such as Google and Facebook, and have paid millions of dollars to hackers.
“All bug bounties are a little different, with many offering small cash incentives for small bugs, or large payments for the discovery of big vulnerabilities. Sometimes, there are non-cash rewards as well, such as public recognition. Bug bounty programs don’t have to cost a fortune, but the returns of such programs can be extended by employing a robo-hacker first to weed out most common vulnerabilities.”
A robo-hacker is software or hardware that can mimic known exploits, malware, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, among other attack methodologies commonly used by malicious ‘black-hat’ hackers. Robo-hacker technology lets organisations perform application and security tests to determine how well applications stand up to certain standards, such as stability, accuracy, and performance in the face of potential attacks.
If the robo-hacker finds a problem, the company can fix it. This way, organisations can harden their systems and applications against potential threats prior to embarking on a bug bounty program or hiring hackers to find vulnerabilities. Once the system has been hardened, hired hackers can focus on more complex or unusual vulnerabilities.
Stephen Urquhart said, “It makes more sense to reward white-hat hackers for discovering a serious, previously unknown flaw, than it does to pay people to uncover smaller potential threats that can be identified by other technology such as robo-hackers. By using a robo-hacker as a first step, companies will get more value from real-life hackers.”
