Cybersecurity start-up banks on crowdsourcing

Security researchers can work freelance and from home

A start-up is inviting anyone with knowledge about system security and ethical hacking to become a cybersecurity tester.

Vulhunt (portmanteau of vul from vulnerabilities and hunt from hunters), located in Padmanabhanagar, works with inputs from experienced chief information security officers, say its founders.

Started by Chetaan N T, who has worked in cybersecurity, auditing and compliance, and Akash Kundu, visiting faculty at academies training the CBI, CRPF and police, the company aims to be a “crowdsourced penetration testing platform”.

The founders found many testers losing their jobs during the pandemic, and decided this was ‘the right time to act’.

“Some close friends became victims of cyber frauds. This also made us think. We brainstormed for two months and devised an action plan,” he adds. During the lockdown, he says, companies around the world were digitised as an emergency response.

“They are exposed to higher risks due to this transition, and cyber breaches are increasing,” he says.

Security researchers get paid for the vulnerabilities they find and report. Chetaan says any security researcher who refers a woman security researcher gets rewarded when she finds the first
bug.

A cybersecurity tester can earn between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2 lakh, according to the severity of every bug found.

The service doesn’t have fixed working hours. “The flexibility should allow more women to participate. Our target is to have 50 per cent women in the researchers pool,” he says. Testers can sign up at www.vulhunt.com.

Requirements

Internet

Computer

Knowledge about system security and ethical hacking.