GitHub’s revamped VIP Bug Bounty Program

GitHub's bug bounty team has introduced a swag store and revamped its VIP program, aiming to enhance engagement and reward researchers for their contributions to securing GitHub. The new swag store offers exclusive bug bounty-branded items as a bonus alongside monetary rewards, while the revamped VIP program, operating for five years, now features clearer criteria for invitation, including earning at least $20,000 and submitting two reports in the last two years. Invited researchers, known as Hacktocats, gain benefits such as early access to beta features, interaction with GitHub engineers, and exclusive swag. These initiatives are part of GitHub's broader strategy to foster partnerships with talented security researchers, strengthening the security of its products and community.