There are many companies out there who offer up various bounties if users are able to find bugs and also find ways to circumvent security, all of which are bugs and flaws that need to be fixed ASAP. Turns out that the US military isn’t so different because on Wednesday, the Pentagon launched a program called “Hack the Pentagon”.
The idea of the program is similar to bounty systems offered by other companies, however in this case, not everyone can take part in it. It seems that hackers will need to be pre-approved first, meaning that they want to make sure you are who you say you are, and are not going to steal information under the guise of hacking them for noble reasons.
According to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, “I am confident that this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defenses and ultimately enhance our national security. We can’t just keep doing what we’re doing. The world changes too fast; our competitors change too fast.” It is expected that other agencies will follow suit should the Pentagon’s program prove successful.
DJ Patil, who is the WHite House’s chief data scientist said, “When people hear ‘bug bounty,’ they think we are just opening ourselves to attack, but what people forget is, we are always in this day and age under attack. By bringing crowds to the problem … you’re getting a jump on the curve.”