Twenty or even ten years ago, hackers like me were arrested for trying to do good. Today, we are being hired by some of the world’s most powerful organizations.

If you’re still considering whether or not you are late to the bug bounty train, know that you’re coming aboard at one of the most exciting times in the industry’s history. This community is growing faster than ever before, as governments are beginning to require that companies host vulnerability disclosure programs, Fortune 500 companies are building such policies in droves, and the applications for hacker-powered security are expanding every day. The value of a human eye will forever be vital in defending against evolving threats, and the world is recognizing us as the people to provide it.

The beautiful thing about the bug bounty world is that, unlike your typical nine-to-five job or consultancy gig, it allows you to participate from wherever you want, whenever you want, and on whatever type of asset you like! All you need is a decent internet connection, a nice coffee (or your choice of beverage), some curiosity, and a passion for breaking things. And not only does it give you the freedom to work on your own schedule, but the threats are evolving faster than the speed of innovation, providing ample opportunities to learn, build your skills, and become an expert in a new area.

If you are interested in gaining real-world hacking experience, the bug bounty marketplace makes that possible by providing an endless number of targets owned by giant companies such as Facebook, Google, or Apple! I’m not saying that it is an easy task to find a vulnerability in these companies; nevertheless, bug bounty programs deliver the platform on which to hunt, and the bug bounty community pushes you to learn more about new vulnerability types, grow your skill set, and keep trying even when it gets tough. Unlike most labs and Capture the Flags (CTFs), bug bounty programs do not have solutions or a guaranteed vulnerability to exploit. Instead, you’ll always ask yourself whether or not some feature is vulnerable, or if it can force the application or its functionalities to do things it’s not supposed to. This uncertainty can be daunting, but it makes the thrill of finding a bug so much sweeter.

In this book, Vickie explores a variety of different vulnerability types to advance your understanding of web application hacking. She covers the skills that will make you a successful bug bounty hunter, including step-by-step analyses on how to pick the right program for you, perform proper reconnaissance, and write strong reports. She provides explanations for attacks like cross-site scripting, SQL injection, template injection, and almost any other you need in your toolkit to be successful. Later on, she takes you beyond the basics of web applications and introduces topics such as code review, API hacking, automating your workflow, and fuzzing.

For anyone willing to put in the work, Bug Bounty Bootcamp gives you the foundation you need to make it in bug bounties.

—Ben Sadeghipour

Hacker, Content Creator, and
Head of Hacker Education at HackerOne