Publication detail

Using Real-world Bug Bounty Programs in Secure Coding Course: Experience Report

MALINKA, K. FIRC, A. LOUTOCKÝ, P. VOSTOUPAL, J. KRIŠTOFÍK, A. KASL, F.

Original Title

Using Real-world Bug Bounty Programs in Secure Coding Course: Experience Report

Type

conference paper

Language

English

Original Abstract

To keep up with the growing number of cyber-attacks and associated threats, there is an ever-increasing demand for cybersecurity professionals and new methods and technologies. Training new cybersecurity professionals is a challenging task due to the broad scope of the area. One particular field where there is a shortage of experts is Ethical Hacking. Due to its complexity, it often faces educational constraints. Recognizing these challenges, we propose a solution: integrating a real-world bug bounty programme into the cybersecurity curriculum. This innovative approach aims to fill the practical cybersecurity education gap and brings additional positive benefits.To evaluate our idea, we include the proposed solution to a secure coding course for IT-oriented faculty. We let students choose to participate in a bug bounty programme as an option for the semester assignment in a secure coding course. We then collected responses from the students to evaluate the outcomes (improved skills, reported vulnerabilities, a better relationship with security, etc.). Evaluation of the assignment showed that students enjoyed solving such real-world problems, could find real vulnerabilities, and that it helped raise their skills and cybersecurity awareness. Participation in real bug bounty programmes also positively affects the security level of the tested products. We also discuss the potential risks of this approach and how to mitigate them.

Keywords

bug bounty, course assignment, cybersecurity specialization, experience report, secure coding, university education

Authors

MALINKA, K.; FIRC, A.; LOUTOCKÝ, P.; VOSTOUPAL, J.; KRIŠTOFÍK, A.; KASL, F.

Released

3. 7. 2024

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

Location

New York, NY, USA

ISBN

979-8-4007-0600-4

Book

Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE

Pages from

227

Pages to

233

Pages count

7

URL

https://doi.org/10.1145/3649217.3653633

BibTex

@inproceedings{BUT189201,
  author="MALINKA, K. and FIRC, A. and LOUTOCKÝ, P. and VOSTOUPAL, J. and KRIŠTOFÍK, A. and KASL, F.",
  title="Using Real-world Bug Bounty Programs in Secure Coding Course: Experience Report",
  booktitle="Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE",
  year="2024",
  pages="227--233",
  publisher="Association for Computing Machinery",
  address="New York, NY, USA",
  doi="10.1145/3649217.3653633",
  isbn="979-8-4007-0600-4",
  url="https://doi.org/10.1145/3649217.3653633"
}