The Quebec government is now taking steps to improve the security of government assets. In a May 5, 2022, press release, the provincial government officially announced the launch of the Bug Bounty Program, which is expected to enhance the security of government IT assets... through the use of online hackers.
That's right! The government is giving "information security researchers who specialize in detecting vulnerabilities access, under government control, to certain assets to find flaws that could compromise the security of Quebecers' data," the press release stated.
So in other words, Quebec is hiring a bunch of computer hackers to enhance the cybersecurity of the province. The hackers, or "information security researchers" as the government calls them, have "cutting-edge expertise" and will strengthen Quebec's IT assets and increase security.
Quebec stated that the researchers will be paid solely on the vulnerabilities they discover and that the personal information of Quebec residents will not be accessible to researchers analyzing the assets.
The rates are also quite impressive with payment depending on how critical the vulnerability of the asset is. Hackers could earn anywhere from $50 for a lower critical case to $7,500 for more critical vulnerabilities.
"The collaboration of the information security research community is essential in order to effectively fight cyberthreats and cyberattacks," Éric Caire, Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Issues stated.
"I am proud to initiate this program that will pool the expertise of the government with that of the community. This innovative approach will undoubtedly give us greater power to identify potential computer vulnerabilities in our assets and, above all, to correct them quickly."
The Bug Bounty Program will not only employ information security researchers but will train government personnel to provide the first line of defence against cyberattacks all while accelerating the handling of vulnerabilities within the government.
What a time to be a hacker, isn't it?
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
