I was just another cybersecurity enthusiast, drowning in tutorials but unsure where to start. Then I discovered the power of beginner-friendly bug bounty programs — and everything changed. Here’s how I went from clueless to cashing my first bounty, and how you can too!
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Picking the wrong target is like trying to hack the Pentagon on day one — you’ll fail and get discouraged. Instead, focus on low-hanging fruit where beginners actually succeed.
1. Start with Beginner-Friendly Targets
- HackerOne’s “Easy” Tags: Programs like Shopify and Uber often reward simple recon-based bugs (misconfigured subdomains, exposed admin panels).
- Bugcrowd’s VDPs: No payouts, but perfect for practice (e.g., Tesla’s infotainment system had easy info leaks).
- Open Source: Google’s OSS-Fuzz pays for finding flaws in code — great for learning.
Real-World Example: A friend found an unprotected Firebase database in a small VDP program. No cash, but it got him invited to private programs!