Google’s paying double for help finding smart home and wearable bugs
Google’s Vulnerability Rewards Program (or VRP) has been steadily chugging along for over a decade now, recently marking its 10-year anniversary with arelaunch of the websitethat included gamification elements like leaderboards and badges, alongside improved tutorials. And all told, it seems like a successful initiative — in 2021, Google doled out $8.7 million to individuals who uncovered bugs, with 696 researchers in 62 countries getting paid,a marked increase from the $6.7 million distributed in 2020. Now Google is adding even higher incentives for its program, with double the rewards for eligible reports on Google Nest and Fitbit devices.
These double rewardsapply retroactively, so any eligible reports submitted to Google in 2021 can also earn those big bucks. This backs up the company’s commitment to5 years of support for Nest devices, but there are some important caveats to keep in mind, the biggest being that this new double bonus will only last for 6 months. All other bug reports will continue to earn their existing reward levels.
To help streamline the process, Google is also bringing all its first-party devices together in the Android and Google Devices Security Reward Program. This was previously known as the Android Security Reward Program, which focused on Pixel phones — to that Google’s now adding the following devices:
Google Nest
Not only are the increased rewards are a fantastic incentive, the VRP is now easier than ever to join since its overhaul last year. If you’re curious what getting involved might entail (even if you’re a beginner), Google’sBug Hunter Universityprovides some great resources to help get you started.
Broader branding hints at wider paid-tier ambitions
The note-taking app I should have used all along
You can now learn languages too
Change your network settings the easy way
The entry-level Pixel delivers value
Pixelsnap on a Pixel 9
