Google To Pay For Open-Source Code Security Fixes

Jeremy Kirk | Computerworld | October 10, 2013

Awards program aims to improve critical open-source tools widely used across the Internet

Google said Wednesday it plans to reward developers for developing proactive security improvements for some of the most widely used open-source software programs.

The program aims to "improve the security of key third-party software critical to the health of the entire Internet," wrote Michal Zalewski of Google's Security Team. Rewards will range between $500 to $3,133.70, he wrote.

Google decided against creating merely a bounty program for open source code.

"In short, we decided to try something new," according to Google's description of the program. "Quite a few vulnerabilities trace back to preventable coding mistakes, or are made easier to exploit due to the absence of simple mitigation techniques. We are hoping to address this to some extent."