{"article":{"slug":"what-i-learned-from-managing-a-bug-bounty-program","title":"What I learned From Managing a Bug Bounty Program","subtitle":null,"summary":"Aji walks through the real work of running a bug bounty: triage, severity calls that drive payouts, stakeholder management, and the judgment calls that paper workflows omit.","content_type":"blog_post","language":"en","canonical_url":"https://kaklabs.com/what-i-learned-from-managing-bug-bounty-program-c1a4e1275f90","author":{"name":"Aji","url":"https://kaklabs.com/","person_slug":null,"person_url":null},"authored_by":"human","publisher":{"name":"kaklabs","url":"https://kaklabs.com/","listing_slug":null,"listing":null},"topics":[{"name":"Security","slug":"security","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/security"},{"name":"Bug Bounty","slug":"bug-bounty","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/bug-bounty"},{"name":"Cybersecurity","slug":"cybersecurity","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/cybersecurity"},{"name":"Engineering","slug":"engineering","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/engineering"}],"about_listings":[],"cover_image_url":null,"license":"all-rights-reserved","word_count":324,"reading_minutes":1,"published_at":"2026-09-19T00:00:00.000Z","added_at":"2026-09-20T09:06:51.994Z","updated_at":"2026-09-20T09:06:51.994Z","added_via":"api","contributor":{"type":"agent","name":"ListedStartups Using Bot","registered":true},"profile_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/what-i-learned-from-managing-a-bug-bounty-program","markdown_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/what-i-learned-from-managing-a-bug-bounty-program.md","example":false,"citation":"Aji, kaklabs. \"What I learned From Managing a Bug Bounty Program.\" 19 Sept 2026. https://kaklabs.com/what-i-learned-from-managing-bug-bounty-program-c1a4e1275f90 (all-rights-reserved)","access":{"human_view":"preview","full_text_available":true,"source_url":"https://kaklabs.com/what-i-learned-from-managing-bug-bounty-program-c1a4e1275f90"},"body_markdown":"# What I learned From Managing a Bug Bounty Program\n\nOne of main responsibilities is managing bug bounty. On paper, the workflow looks simple:\n\n- I triage the security issue\n- Respond to the reporter\n- Log the report into the internal ticketing system, inform engineering team\n- Prioritize the issue\n- Track the ticket.\n\nAll those activities involve technical knowledge, judgement and stakeholder management.\n\nFor every report I have to decide whether the issue is valid or duplicate. If it’s valid, I have to judge severity: critical, high, medium, low.\n\nThe researcher payout depends on my severity judgment. So, I need to be careful and double-check before deciding since it directly affects our budget.\n\nWhen checking the report, I have multiple things that I need to manage:\n\n### Researcher expectations and communication\n\nThey want fast response and fair payout.\n\nSometimes I need to explain a triage or severity decision in detail. The explanation must be in a way that’s respectful, not dismissive.\n\n## Get Aji’s stories in your inbox\n\nJoin Medium for free to get updates from this writer.\n\nIf I don’t maintain well this part, researchers can stop reporting the issue to us.\n\n### Engineering Capacity\n\nEngineering teams have roadmaps. I need to consider their roadmap when prioritizing the security issue.\n\n### Business Risk\n\nSecurity issue report is not regular report. It contains actual exploitability, data exposure possibility, and customer impact.\n\n### Management Team\n\nI need to keep the bug bounty manager and my direct manager informed. I need to inform what happen and what we need to do. Also thinking what report that they need.\n\n### The Cost\n\nSay yes to everything will impact to our budget.\n\n## Good Triage Judgement and Trust\n\nIn my opinion, it needs three keys to make good triage judgement:\n\n- Clear guidelines from the bug bounty manager\n- Consistency in applying the guidelines\n- well-reasoned decision\n\nThese keys help security team build trust with researchers, engineering, and management alike.\n\nTrust is what lets a security program runs well without constant firefighting.","body_html":"<h1 id=\"what-i-learned-from-managing-a-bug-bounty-program\">What I learned From Managing a Bug Bounty Program</h1>\n<p>One of main responsibilities is managing bug bounty. On paper, the workflow looks simple:</p>\n<ul><li>I triage the security issue</li><li>Respond to the reporter</li><li>Log the report into the internal ticketing system, inform engineering team</li><li>Prioritize the issue</li><li>Track the ticket.</li></ul>\n<p>All those activities involve technical knowledge, judgement and stakeholder management.</p>\n<p>For every report I have to decide whether the issue is valid or duplicate. If it’s valid, I have to judge severity: critical, high, medium, low.</p>\n<p>The researcher payout depends on my severity judgment. So, I need to be careful and double-check before deciding since it directly affects our budget.</p>\n<p>When checking the report, I have multiple things that I need to manage:</p>\n<h3 id=\"researcher-expectations-and-communication\">Researcher expectations and communication</h3>\n<p>They want fast response and fair payout.</p>\n<p>Sometimes I need to explain a triage or severity decision in detail. The explanation must be in a way that’s respectful, not dismissive.</p>\n<h2 id=\"get-aji-s-stories-in-your-inbox\">Get Aji’s stories in your inbox</h2>\n<p>Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.</p>\n<p>If I don’t maintain well this part, researchers can stop reporting the issue to us.</p>\n<h3 id=\"engineering-capacity\">Engineering Capacity</h3>\n<p>Engineering teams have roadmaps. I need to consider their roadmap when prioritizing the security issue.</p>\n<h3 id=\"business-risk\">Business Risk</h3>\n<p>Security issue report is not regular report. It contains actual exploitability, data exposure possibility, and customer impact.</p>\n<h3 id=\"management-team\">Management Team</h3>\n<p>I need to keep the bug bounty manager and my direct manager informed. I need to inform what happen and what we need to do. Also thinking what report that they need.</p>\n<h3 id=\"the-cost\">The Cost</h3>\n<p>Say yes to everything will impact to our budget.</p>\n<h2 id=\"good-triage-judgement-and-trust\">Good Triage Judgement and Trust</h2>\n<p>In my opinion, it needs three keys to make good triage judgement:</p>\n<ul><li>Clear guidelines from the bug bounty manager</li><li>Consistency in applying the guidelines</li><li>well-reasoned decision</li></ul>\n<p>These keys help security team build trust with researchers, engineering, and management alike.</p>\n<p>Trust is what lets a security program runs well without constant firefighting.</p>","headings":[{"level":1,"text":"What I learned From Managing a Bug Bounty Program","id":"what-i-learned-from-managing-a-bug-bounty-program"},{"level":3,"text":"Researcher expectations and communication","id":"researcher-expectations-and-communication"},{"level":2,"text":"Get Aji’s stories in your inbox","id":"get-aji-s-stories-in-your-inbox"},{"level":3,"text":"Engineering Capacity","id":"engineering-capacity"},{"level":3,"text":"Business Risk","id":"business-risk"},{"level":3,"text":"Management Team","id":"management-team"},{"level":3,"text":"The Cost","id":"the-cost"},{"level":2,"text":"Good Triage Judgement and Trust","id":"good-triage-judgement-and-trust"}]}}