TX Group launches public bug bounty program for 20 minutes
Cyber security is more important than ever. In order to identify vulnerabilities in IT systems, TX Group is launching a public bug bounty program through which all external security researchers and hackers can search for security vulnerabilities in the digital presence of 20 Minuten.
Since spring 2020, the digital presence of 20 minutes in a new guise (Werbewoche.ch reported). In the process, the platform has also been "raised to a very high level" in terms of security technology, as the TX Group writes in a statement. From technical design to go-live, state-of-the-art security elements have been built in to ensure the availability of the platform and the data and security of its readership at all times. In addition, some 850 hackers and security researchers spent more than a year searching for security vulnerabilities as part of a closed bug bounty program. In such a program, payment is made for each security hole found. A bounty, so to speak - or a bounty. The group collaborated with the company BugCrowd for the program.
Program now open to the public
Now the TX Group is making the program publicly available to all security researchers and hackers. In doing so, the group aims to raise the security level even further. "Our bug bounty programs have been one of the most effective measures of our product security strategy for quite some time. Offering this program publicly is the culmination of our efforts to build the most secure news platform in Switzerland. TX Group is thus taking a pioneering role in Switzerland for cyber security," Andreas Schneider, Group CISO of TX Group, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Hacking platforms is normally punishable by law. A bug bounty program is ethical hacking, in which hackers deliberately penetrate systems and specifically search for vulnerabilities. However, because they follow certain rules, they are not legally prosecuted. "Such programs not only improve our cyber security, but also create trust as well as transparency and thus make an important contribution to the digital transformation of TX Group," explains Schneider, adding, "20 minutes is just the beginning. Later this year, we will make more bug bounty programs available to the public, further increasing our digital trustworthiness."
