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Post: 19-year-old makes millions from ethical hacking
19-Year-Old Makes Millions from Ethical Hacking
A 19-year-old Argentine teenager has made headlines by topping the charts in the world of bug bounty hunting, earning over $1 million in his quest to find and report vulnerabilities in software and online services.
Santiago Lopez: A Rising Star in Bug Bounty Hunting
Santiago Lopez, who operates under the moniker @try_to_hack, joined the bug bounty crowdfunding platform HackerOne in 2015. Since then, he has reported over 1,670 bugs that impact products from major vendors like Verizon Media Company, Twitter, WordPress, and Automattic.
Self-Taught Ethical Hacker: Lopez’s Journey to Success
The remarkable thing about Santiago is that he is entirely self-taught. He learned to hunt down security flaws through Internet resources and YouTube videos. He mastered the art of finding some of the most lucrative vulnerabilities, such as:
To hone his skills, Santiago used tutorials such as these for IDORs and CSRF.
From $50 Bounties to $9,000 Payouts
Santiago Lopez’s journey started with modest payouts. His first payment was $50 for a CSRF vulnerability. However, as he gained more expertise, his earnings grew substantially. His largest payout so far is $9,000 for discovering a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in a private program. You can explore YouTube videos on SSRF for more information on this type of vulnerability.
Recognition in the Ethical Hacking Community
Santiago Lopez is now one of the top hackers on the HackerOne leaderboards, ranking in the 91st percentile for signal and 84th percentile for impact. His dedication to cybersecurity has earned him recognition beyond the financial rewards.
“I am incredibly proud to see that my work is recognized and valued,” Lopez says. “Not just for the money, but because this achievement represents companies and people’s information being more secure, and that is incredible.”
Despite earning millions, Lopez shows no sign of slowing down.
The Bug Bounty Landscape: Insights from HackerOne’s 2019 Hacker Report
Alongside the achievements of Santiago Lopez, HackerOne released its 2019 Hacker Report. This report is based on a survey of 3,667 bug bounty hunters using the platform. Some key insights include:
- Over $42 million has been paid to hackers since the platform’s inception.
- $19 million of this amount was earned in 2018 alone.
- 81% of hackers are self-taught.
- 90% of hackers are under the age of 35.
- 47% of hackers fall within the 18-24 age range.
Websites and Domains: The Preferred Target of Bug Bounty Hunters
According to the 2019 Hacker Report, websites are the most popular focus for bug bounty hunters. Over 70% of those surveyed prefer targeting network domains, followed by:
- APIs: 6.8%
- Data storage technology: 3.7%
- Android applications
- Operating systems
- Downloadable software
Lopez’s Advice for Aspiring Bug Bounty Hunters
Santiago Lopez believes that the bug bounty field holds endless opportunities.
“I’m sure that anyone who discovers bug bounty programs will soon realize that it opens up new opportunities for both hackers and companies committed to security,” he says.
With his success story as an example, it’s clear that ethical hacking offers not only financial rewards but also the satisfaction of making the digital world more secure.
Conclusion: The Bright Future of Ethical Hacking
Santiago Lopez’s journey shows that self-taught hackers can achieve incredible things in the world of cybersecurity. His story will no doubt inspire the next generation of white hat hackers, and the demand for ethical hacking skills will only continue to grow.
For more information on ethical hacking and bug bounties, check out HackerOne.
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About the Author: Bernard Aybout (Virii8)
