Nine years of the GitHub Security Bug Bounty program

GitHub's Security Bug Bounty Program celebrated a record-breaking ninth year in 2022, achieving significant milestones, including surpassing $3 million in total payments and hosting a successful live hacking event, H1-512, with HackerOne. The event in Austin featured 45 international participants who focused on uncovering vulnerabilities in GitHub products such as Copilot and Codespaces, resulting in 182 reports and $696,000 in rewards, with a portion donated to charities matched by GitHub. The program saw a 21% increase in contributors and a 58% rise in first-time reports, alongside the launch of a swag store offering non-monetary incentives. Limited disclosure of CVE-awarded reports was introduced to enhance transparency, while researcher spotlights highlighted individual contributions during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As it approaches its tenth anniversary, GitHub plans to expand transparency and community engagement, emphasizing the crucial role of security researchers in maintaining platform safety.