In bug bounty, reputation is currency. A strong reputation leads to private program invites, higher bounties, and career opportunities.
| Metric |
What It Shows |
| Reputation score |
Overall standing |
| Signal/Impact |
Quality of findings |
| Reports resolved |
Experience level |
| Avg. bounty |
Target caliber |
| Response time |
Professionalism |
Top 100: Elite researchers, private program access
Top 500: Experienced hunters, good private invites
Top 1000: Established presence
Top 5000: Building foundation
❌ 50 low-quality reports = Low signal, possible ban
✅ 5 high-quality reports = Strong reputation start
Reputation = (Valid bugs × Severity) - Invalid reports
High severity: +50-100 points
Medium: +20-40 points
Low: +5-15 points
Invalid: -5-10 points
| Stage |
Strategy |
| Beginner |
Find P3-P4 bugs, build signal |
| Intermediate |
Hunt P1-P2, chain vulnerabilities |
| Advanced |
Private programs, complex chains |
| Expert |
Critical findings, research publications |
What to share:
- Bug bounty tips and tricks
- Tool releases and configurations
- Writeups after disclosure
- Methodology improvements
- Community engagement
What NOT to share:
- Unresolved vulnerabilities
- Program criticism
- Bounty complaints
- Other researchers' private info
| Content |
Value |
| Technical writeups |
Demonstrates expertise |
| Tool development |
Shows initiative |
| Methodology posts |
Helps community |
| Conference talks |
Major reputation boost |
# How I Found [Vulnerability Type] in [Company]
## TL;DR
- Found: [date]
- Reported: [date]
- Fixed: [date]
- Bounty: $X,XXX
## The Discovery
[How you found it]
## Technical Details
[Deep technical explanation]
## Impact
[What could happen]
## Timeline
[Full responsible disclosure timeline]
## Lessons Learned
[Takeaways for readers]
## Thanks
[Credit the security team]
| Factor |
Impact |
| High signal score |
Required |
| Platform reputation |
Top 1000+ |
| Previous valid bugs |
Track record |
| Specialty match |
Domain expertise |
| Clean history |
No policy violations |
Public Programs:
- High competition
- Lower bounties
- Picked-over targets
Private Programs:
- Less competition
- 2-5x higher bounties
- Fresh attack surface
- Better communication
| Platform |
Purpose |
| Twitter/X |
Daily engagement |
| Discord |
Community servers |
| Conferences |
In-person networking |
| LinkedIn |
Professional presence |
| Write-ups |
Demonstrating expertise |
Key communities:
- Bugcrowd Discord
- HackerOne community forums
- NahamSec Discord
- Bug Bounty Hunter (BBH) communities
Do:
- Share knowledge freely
- Help newcomers
- Celebrate others' successes
- Collaborate on research
- Give credit generously
Don't:
- Ask for free mentorship constantly
- Brag excessively
- Put down other researchers
- Share others' vulnerabilities
- Gate-keep knowledge
| Conference |
Focus |
| DEF CON |
Research presentations |
| BSides |
Community talks |
| Bug bounty cons |
Platform events |
| Company events |
Vendor-specific |
Content ideas:
- Live bug hunting sessions
- Tool tutorials
- Methodology breakdowns
- CTF walkthroughs
- Interview preparations
Month 1-3:
- [ ] 5 valid reports
- [ ] Signal score > 1.0
- [ ] 1 blog post/writeup
Month 4-6:
- [ ] First private program invite
- [ ] 20 total valid reports
- [ ] Speaking at local meetup
Month 7-12:
- [ ] Top 1000 ranking
- [ ] Multiple private programs
- [ ] Recognized in community
| Year |
Target |
| 1 |
Establish presence, $10K+ earnings |
| 2 |
Top 500, private programs, $50K+ |
| 3 |
Top 100, speaking engagements, $100K+ |
| 5 |
Industry recognition, leadership |
- Always follow program rules
- Never disclose before fix
- Respond professionally always
- Accept duplicates gracefully
- Don't chase vanity metrics
If reputation damaged:
1. Acknowledge the mistake publicly
2. Apologize sincerely
3. Explain what you learned
4. Demonstrate changed behavior
5. Time heals—continue quality work
| Award |
Requirements |
| MVR (HackerOne) |
Top performer in program |
| Researcher of the Month |
Platform highlight |
| Hall of Fame |
Company recognition |
| Ambassador |
Community leadership |
Pro Tip: Reputation is built over years but can be destroyed in a day. Always prioritize ethics and professionalism over short-term gains. The bug bounty community is small—everyone talks.
Next, we'll explore turning bug bounty into a sustainable career.
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