• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
TechCybersecurity

Uber Wants to Be Hacked

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 22, 2016, 10:55 AM ET
ROAD-SERVICES-DEMO
A protester wears a shirt displaying the logo of smartphone ride service Uber during by a protest by non-licensed private hire drivers blocking the Place de la Nation in Paris on February 9, 2016. Members of services known in France as "voitures de tourisme avec chauffeur" (VTC - Tourism vehicle with driver) have been protesting against assurances the French Prime minister has given to taxis. / AFP / Geoffroy Van der Hasselt (Photo credit should read GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP/Getty Images)Photograph by Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt—AFP via Getty Images

A year after debuting a private computer bug bounty program, Uber said it is doubling down on its cybersecurity effort by expanding and opening the program to the public.

The white-hot, ride-hailing firm—last valued at more than $60 billion—says it is also introducing an unusual loyalty rewards program for participants. Hackers who uncover a string of bugs will receive bonus payouts, the sums of which are determined as a portion—10%—of the average of the previous rewards.

Hackers who report critical vulnerabilities can earn as much as $10,000 for their work, the company said.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“The way we thought about the bonus program was like bowling a couple of strikes in row—you add more on top of the previous amount,” explains Collin Greene, a security engineer at Uber who manages the project and who previously oversaw Facebook’s (FB) bug bounty program. “We think its an exciting way to get people locked in,” he adds, mentioning he hopes it will encourage researchers to take the time to get up to speed on the unfamiliar system.

Greene tells Fortune that he is most excited about the company’s creation of a “treasure map,” a document containing details about the architecture and layouts of Uber’s websites and apps. He says the map will make it easier for outsiders to find security vulnerabilities.

For more on hacking, watch:

During the 9-month initial limited trial period, Greene cites the most common bugs found were “missing authorization” bugs, which pay $5,000 a piece and do not endanger customer information. The first run had 200 invited participants, who filed a total of about 100 reported issues.

Uber has chosen to run the program through HackerOne, a bug bounty startup that originally spun out of Facebook. The startup has about 500 programs up and running at companies such as Twitter (TWTR), Yahoo (YHOO), Square (SQ), and Snapchat, three-quarters of which are private.

Alex Rice, co-founder and chief technology officer of HackerOne and one of the original designers of the program at Facebook, tells Fortune that Uber’s approach is more open than many other organizations. “They’re doing a pretty unprecedented level of transparency,” he posits, mentioning the plans for a so-called treasure map.

Read more: “Google Just Doubled the Reward for Cracking into Chromebooks“

Uber recently poached a number of top security personnel from the social network, including Uber’s security chief Joe Sullivan. “Even with a team of highly-qualified and well trained security experts, you need to be constantly on the look-out for ways to improve,” Sullivan said in a statement about the initiative. “This bug bounty program will help ensure that our code is as secure as possible. And our unique loyalty scheme will encourage the security community to become experts when it comes to Uber.”

The bug bounty program complements a number of other key cybersecurity hires that Uber has made in the past year. In addition to on-boarding 40 Carnegie Mellon roboticists, the company poached Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, last year’s infamous Jeep Grand Cherokee hackers, from their respective roles at Twitter and cybersecurity firm IOActive.

The U.S. Department of Defense also made waves at last month’s RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco when Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said the Pentagon planned to introduce a bug bounty program of its own. Other companies that have implemented such programs include General Motors (GM), Tesla (TSLA), and United Airlines (UAL), which offers frequent flier miles as rewards.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

How Grab’s CTO sees the superapp’s push into physical AI and automated driving—and why he uses his competitors’ robots in the office
AITransportation
How Grab’s CTO sees the superapp’s push into physical AI and automated driving—and why he uses his competitors’ robots in the office
By Angelica AngMay 22, 2026
10 hours ago
Trump AI and crpto czar David Sacks sits next to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a dinner table in the White House as Zuckerberg turns to Sacks and says something.
AIAmerican Politics
Tech billionaires convinced Trump to back off an AI executive order. But much of MAGA favors AI regulation
By Jeremy KahnMay 22, 2026
10 hours ago
James Daunt sits in a booksop, gesturing with both hands and smiling.
AIbooks
Barnes & Noble CEO clarifies the bookseller’s stance on AI-written books after refusing to ban them: ‘This is a straightforward rejection of AI books’
By Sasha RogelbergMay 22, 2026
12 hours ago
A photo taken during the Maroon Bells bicycle ride during Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2019 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Fortune)
InnovationBrainstorm Tech
Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 will be brilliant
By Andrew NuscaMay 22, 2026
13 hours ago
satya nadella
AITech
Microsoft reports are exposing AI’s real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
14 hours ago
Sam Altman standing in a lift.
AIOpenAI
The big questions looming over OpenAI’s trillion-dollar IPO
By Beatrice NolanMay 22, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
3 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
3 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
15 hours ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
14 hours ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.