2023 Year in review

Expansion of bug bounty customer portfolio and VDPs

The growing importance of bug bounty programs was clearly evident this year. Our customer base covers many important industries, including banking, insurance, pharma, the industry and the food sector. This development reflects a growing appreciation for cyber security and makes bug bounties an integral part of many organizations' security strategies. In parallel, Vulnerability Disclosure Programs (VDP) are becoming increasingly important, thanks to new impetus from the federal government. These programs create a structured framework for dealing with security vulnerabilities and are becoming increasingly important, especially in view of the legal reporting obligations.

Active participation and knowledge sharing at cyber security events

This year, we once again took part in various events in the cyber security industry. We were able to actively participate in the first Digital Conference Eastern Switzerland (DCONO) and share our knowledge. As the main partner of the Inside IT event "Cybersecurity in Switzerland", we had the opportunity to be part of an important platform for knowledge sharing and networking. At the Digital Festival in Zurich, we helped participants explore their digital footprint and delve deeper into the world of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). At the Women in Cyber event, Christina Kistler, CCO of GObugfree, shared her experiences with bug bounty programs in a panel discussion. At SUISSE DIGITAL Day, Michael Schläpfer, CSO of GObugfree, took part in a discussion on ethical hacking to raise awareness of this important topic. We made new contacts and gained inspiration at other cyber security and hacking conferences.

New expertise for enhanced customer support

With the addition of Gerhard Beeker as Senior Business Development Manager DACH and Palash Verma as Triage & Validation Expert, we have expanded our team to serve our customers even more effectively. Gerhard brings extensive sales experience and strengthens our presence in Germany and Austria. Palash, with his impressive experience in pentesting tools and methodologies, strengthens our technical expertise and enhances our ability to respond quickly and accurately to security vulnerabilities. With these valuable team members, we increase our capacity to meet the needs of our customer base and support the successful expansion of the GObugfree SaaS platform for vulnerability management.

New learning formats: GOLearn & GOTalk

In our "GOLearn" webinars and "GOTalk" interviews, we spoke with cyber security experts such as Andreas Schneider, Jörg Schauff, Urs Gattiker and Klaus Hild about topics such as cloud security, vulnerability disclosure programs, IAM and ecosystems. These formats allow us to share knowledge, raise awareness and contribute to the security culture in companies. More such sessions are planned for 2024. Are you a cyber security expert and would like to participate as a speaker in a future webinar or interview or suggest someone? We would love to hear your feedback.

Educational partnership with FFHS: Expansion of the EDU program

As part of our educational partnerships, we have expanded our bug bounty program for ethical hacking through a cooperation with the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS), which is affiliated with the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW). Through the EDU program, we enable students to gain valuable and practical experience in the field of cybersecurity by 'hacking' their own university in a controlled setting. This initiative helps to actively address the skills shortage in this sector.

Strong together: partnerships with Helvetia and BDO Switzerland

Through our collaboration with Helvetia and BDO Switzerland, we have focused on raising awareness of cyber security and cyber prevention while providing practical support for SMEs. These partnerships underscore our mission to provide customized and effective security strategies tailored specifically to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Together, we are working to arm businesses against the ever-growing cyber threats and foster a culture of security that is critical to long-term success and resilience in the digital age.

New cooperation with Raiffeisen

We are proud to welcome Raiffeisen, after a successful pilot project, as a longterm customer for our bug bounty program. The bank's decision to use this program underlines its commitment to the highest cybersecurity standards. Raiffeisen publicly presented this move at the HSLU e-banking symposium, highlighting the importance of bug bounty programs as essential tools for detecting and remediating security vulnerabilities. With a strategic and step-by-step approach, Raiffeisen relies on continuous collaboration with qualified ethical hackers to strengthen its digital services and secure the trust of its customers.

GOHack: A successful end to the year

Our first GOHack event from November 30 to December 2 was a great way to close out 2023. This event gave companies the opportunity to get their first experience with bug bounty programs and have a scope tested by the GObugfree community. GOHack23 not only brought together our community of friendly hackers, but also gave participants the opportunity to demonstrate their cybersecurity skills and show their commitment. It was an exciting and educational experience for everyone involved. One highlight was the "Hack for Good" program, in which ethical hackers identified security vulnerabilities in the RaiseNow platform. Half of the rewards (bounties) were donated to Caritas Switzerland.

2024: Full speed ahead

We look forward to an exciting 2024 and continuing to support our customers on their GO-bug-free journey.

Missed GOHack23? Read more about it here https://gobugfree.com/blog/gohack23-a-first-in-the-world-of-cybersecurity