"Hackers for Hire" NATO video enters vulnerability disclosure debate
L33tdawg: An interview with Microsoft's Katie Moussouris shot at #HITB2013AMS in May.
NATO has released a short video, looking at the “hacker” phenomenon.
By hackers they aren’t just talking about the stereotypical malicious hacker, bent over a keyboard in a darkened room while wearing a hoody (although one of them does appear in the video), but also vulnerability researchers who find security holes in systems.
As the video makes clear, there is an increasing market for vulnerabilities. Those who find security flaws can not only profit from bug bounties paid out by the vendor whose software had the weakness, but they can alternatively (and controversially) choose to sell details of an exploit to others who might have more sinister intentions or no qualms about selling them on to those who do.
