Intigriti chief hacker says bug bounties steer talent from crime

Inti De Ceukelaire is chief hacking officer at the Intigriti bug bounty platform, where he has been for the last seven years, according to SecurityWeek. He describes being a hacker as something he gradually realised he was, driven more by bending systems to his will than by simply improving them. He first realised his hacking capacity at age 15 when he reported bugs to Google, receiving a polite response and fixes within about a week.

In 2018 he found a weakness on the Vatican News website, reported it, and, after the site did nothing, exploited it in a non-harmful way by planting a public announcement. He also recalls a time at school when he hacked his own submission time to gain an advantage, later reporting himself to teachers who allowed the hacked time to stand.

The piece frames bug bounty platforms as enabling hackers to work legally and get paid, noting De Ceukelaire’s view that such programmes can steer skilled individuals away from crime and toward constructive, regulated hacking.