In a professional context, bug bounty is part of my day-to-day work. I receive reports from security researchers, perform triage, forward valid findings to product teams, and support the remediation process. In other cases, this also means explaining - as transparently and respectfully as possible - why a report does not qualify as a security issue.

This regular exposure to bug bounty reports shapes a certain perspective, but it is also a limited one. Evaluating submissions is not the same as actively searching for vulnerabilities.

Before bug bounty programs were formally introduced in our organisation, I deliberately spent time participating in public bug bounty platforms. The goal was not financial gain, but understanding: how researchers work, how programs are perceived from the outside, and where friction typically arises. That experience influenced how bug bounty was later approached internally.

Over time, however, direct hands-on involvement became less frequent. As responsibilities shifted, practical bug hunting gradually gave way to process, coordination and review.

Returning to hands-on work Link to heading

In the second half of 2025, I made a conscious decision to return to bug hunting in a limited and structured way. During longer holidays, two to three days were reserved for active participation in bug bounty programs, supplemented by a few shorter sessions on selected weekends.

The intent was to regain practical exposure and recalibrate assumptions formed through daily triage work.

Conclusion Link to heading

From a distance, everything always seems simpler. The path from the first impression that something is not quite right to the point where a concrete vulnerability can be demonstrated is often much longer than expected. Once a finding exists, the triage process itself can feel like a significant gatekeeper. Bug bounty hunting is demanding. Proven researchers not only rely on experience and an intuition for weaknesses, but must also be able to apply that knowledge and clearly explain their findings. In the end, it is not the theoretical risk that is rewarded, it’s the ability to demonstrate practical impact. On a personal note, I am proud that 2025 also brought the first confirmed CVSS 10.0 vulnerability of my career.

My accepted findings in the second half of 2025 Link to heading