AUSTIN, Texas — Registration opened on Thursday for a program that will allow hackers to test the security of the Defense Department’s public websites.
The Pentagon announced that the department is partnering with HackerOne, based in Silicon Valley, to run the bug bounty initiative, which will run from April 18 through May 12.
The Pentagon announced the “Hack the Pentagon” pilot program earlier this month as a way to allow the commercial sector to help find vulnerabilities on the Defense Department’s public web pages.
Eligible hackers must be U.S. citizens and not be on a list of suspected terrorists or drug traffickers, according to a Pentagon release. The department will also conduct a basic criminal background check on all participants.
Bounties for successful participation in the program will be distributed by June 10. Amounts will vary, but rewards will come from the $150,000 set aside to fund the program.
The pilot is the first of its kind in the federal government and is modeled after initiatives undertaken by private companies to increase security.
“I am always challenging our people to think outside the five-sided box that is the Pentagon,” Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said in a March 2 statement when the program was announced. “Inviting responsible hackers to test our cybersecurity certainly meets that test. I am confident this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defenses and ultimately enhance our national security.”
