┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW HACKERS? │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ As hackers dive into a program: │ │ • What are they looking for? │ │ • What common challenges do they face? │ │ • What are their specializations? │ │ │ │ Test your knowledge of hackers. │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ [1] DISCLOSURE & RISK │ │ │ │ What percentage of hackers choose NOT to disclose a vulnerability │ │ because a company lacks a clear pathway to report it without │ │ risking legal consequences? │ │ │ │ A. 13% B. 28% C. 54% D. 72% │ │ │ │ Answer: C — 54% │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ [2] DISCOVERY │ │ │ │ What percentage of hackers found a new vulnerability in the past │ │ 12 months that they had NOT encountered before? │ │ │ │ A. 9% B. 21% C. 48% D. 63% │ │ │ │ Answer: D — 63% │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ [3] AREA OF SPECIALIZATION │ │ │ │ 70% of hackers identified what as their primary area of specialization? │ │ │ │ A. Web applications │ │ B. Network penetration testing │ │ C. Recon / asset discovery │ │ D. Social engineering │ │ │ │ Answer: A — Web applications │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ [4] LIMITING FACTORS │ │ │ │ What is the TOP reason hackers say prevents them from being more │ │ successful when hacking? │ │ │ │ A. Not enough scope │ │ B. Lack of physical technology │ │ C. Unresponsive program owners │ │ D. Inadequate incentives │ │ │ │ Answer: A — Not enough scope │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ [5] MOTIVATION │ │ │ │ What is the NUMBER ONE reason hackers choose to hack on │ │ Bugcrowd’s platform? │ │ │ │ A. Reduce the risk of breaches and reputation damage for companies │ │ B. Improve processes between security and engineering teams │ │ C. Access more lucrative programs │ │ D. Help companies accelerate time-to-market securely │ │ │ │ Answer: A — Reduce the risk of breaches and reputation damage │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ TAKEAWAY │ │ │ │ Hackers are driven less by money than by: │ │ • Curiosity │ │ • Impact │ │ • Clear scope │ │ • Responsible disclosure paths │ │ │ │ Better programs create better security outcomes. │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A HACKER │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ CONTEXT │ │ │ │ As more organizations turn to hackers to expose critical vulnerabilities, │ │ some still hesitate — unsure whether hackers can be allies rather than │ │ threats. │ │ │ │ Opening systems to crowdsourced security can feel risky, especially when │ │ partnering with a group that is often misunderstood. │ │ │ │ Understanding who hackers are, what motivates them, and how they work │ │ builds trust. One way to do that is to walk through a day in their life. │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF HACKERS │ │ │ │ 25% hack part-time │ │ 32% are trying to hack full-time │ │ 29% hack full-time │ │ 14% treat hacking as a side hustle or hobby │ │ │ │ Insight: │ │ Most hackers do not start full-time. Many transition gradually, │ │ blending part-time work, learning, and side projects before │ │ committing fully. │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ THE SIDE HUSTLE FORMULA │ │ │ │ SH = (MN + E) × P^F │ │ │ │ Where: │ │ MN = Market Needs │ │ E = Expertise │ │ P = Passion │ │ F = Flexibility │ │ │ │ A strong side hustle is adaptable, driven by skill and curiosity, │ │ and optimized for learning and flexibility — not just money. │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ WHY SIDE HUSTLES MATTER │ │ │ │ The rise of side hustles is driven by: │ │ • Remote work │ │ • Rising cost of living │ │ • Demand for flexible careers │ │ │ │ For hackers, side hustles enable experimentation, learning, │ │ and long-term growth without immediate pressure. │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ INDUSTRIES HACKERS WORK IN (OUTSIDE SECURITY) │ │ │ │ 77% work in IT or cybersecurity │ │ 23% work across unrelated industries, including: │ │ │ │ • Education / Training / Libraries │ │ • Architecture / Engineering │ │ • Corporate Management │ │ • Administration / Support │ │ • Installation / Maintenance / Repairs │ │ • Forestry / Fishing │ │ • Manufacturing / Production │ │ • Business / Finance │ │ • Healthcare / Medical │ │ • Justice / Legal │ │ │ │ Insight: │ │ Hacking skillsets transfer across domains. │ │ Security thinking is not confined to “security jobs.” │ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ TAKEAWAY │ │ │ │ A hacker’s day is rarely linear. │ │ It blends learning, experimentation, side projects, and work │ │ across disciplines. │ │ │ │ The path is gradual, adaptive, and self-directed. │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ LEGAL NOTICE │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ All users and viewers are expected to comply fully with all applicable │ │ federal, state, and international laws. │ │ │ │ The authors and publishers of this material do not accept liability for │ │ any misuse, misinterpretation, or unauthorized application of the │ │ information provided. │ │ │ │ This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. │ │ │ │ Always operate within legal and ethical boundaries. │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ← back