International sanctions, IT isolation, and shifting attitudes to ethical hacking have bug bounty programs on the rise in Russia, with zero-day acquisition companies potentially poised to profit.

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International sanctions and the exodus of IT specialists have led to the rise of bug bounty programs in Russia. With Western platforms like HackerOne and BugCrowd cutting off Russian participants, domestic initiatives like Standoff 365 and BI.ZONE have emerged. Supported by major companies and even the Russian government, these platforms aim to bolster cybersecurity. Legal ambiguities remain, but proposed legislation could further legitimise ethical hacking in Russia. These developments could have significant cybersecurity implications beyond Russia's borders, especially concerning potential espionage activities using zero-day vulnerabilities.

Bug bounty programs take root in Russia — with possible far-reaching implications