Intel expands bug bounty program with more rewards

Intel is changing its bug bounty program from an invitation-only program to public. The chip-maker has also introduced a new program focused on side channel vulnerabilities, in the wake of Meltdown and Spectre attacks.

To incentivize the program, there are sweeter rewards too. While a security researcher can get up to $100,000 for disclosing general security flaws, side channel vulnerabilities can earn an award up to $250,000, Intel said. The program runs through Dec. 31, 2018.

“We believe these changes will enable us to more broadly engage the security research community, and provide better incentives for coordinated response and disclosure that help protect our customers and their data,” Intel’s Rick Echevarria, vice president and general manager of platform security, said in the blog post.

Intel has been under fire of late due to a spate of security related issues. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said in a recent earnings presentation that the company will "restore confidence in data security with customer-first urgency, transparent and timely communication." Bug bounties have emerged as a very popular way to find bugs in software and hardware where security researchers are rewarded to report those bugs directly to the company.