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Pentagon Bug Bounty Reveals 100+ Vulnerabilities

Posted: June 15, 2016 to News.

Tags: Penetration Testing, Data Breach, Malware

Over 100 weaknesses have been found in the Pentagon's networks and websites. Fortunately, these hackers were paid to find them. 1400 hackers took part in Hack the Pentagon, a program created by the Department of Defense. Their goal was to use whitehat hackers to probe for weaknesses with rewards of up to $15,000 for security risks discovered in the process. It's been a great success. Ashton Carter, US Defense Secretary, lauded the program as a way to utilize "the brilliance of the white hatters, rather than waits to learn the lessons of the black hatters." He also pointed out that it was was much more cost-effective than reacting to malignant cyberattacks. The Hack the Pentagon program was held in April and May. All participants were required to undergo and background check, and while they were allowed to hack the Pentagon, it wasn't open range on defense secrets. Particularly secret and sensitive areas were off-limits for the bug bounty.

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Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

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