Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, known as du, is planning to offer a bug bounty as a service to its customers following the success of its trial programme.
A bug bounty is a reward given to ethical hackers who are able to discover and report a vulnerability – a bug – in a computer app or software, enabling solutions to be programmed before the bug becomes widespread.
The pilot phase of du's bug bounty programme, which was completed in two months and included the participation of several “elite security people”, allowed the telecom company to explore vulnerabilities before the services go to market, said Jasim Al Awadi, head of government and key accounts at du.
“We have concluded our bug bounty programme and the results are phenomenal. Very soon we will start implementing it in our network. We will have an on-premises server, then we will offer it as a service to our customers,” Mr Al Awadi told The National in an interview at the Global Information Security Expo and Conference in Dubai.
The UAE National Cybersecurity Council launched the bug bounty programme in August 2020 with the goal of strengthening the country's cyber security systems.
Du, along with e& — then known as Etisalat Group — and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, were among the first to trial it.
Abu Dhabi-based telecom operator e& – which rebranded last month – completed the first bug bounty programme in October during Gitex Technology Week.
The two-month pilot was conducted in collaboration with Yogosha, a Paris-based crowdsourced bug bounty platform, and Abu Dhabi-based defence consulting firm Beacon Red.
The global bug bounty market was valued at $223.1 million in 2020 and is projected to hit almost $5.5 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual rate of 54.4 per cent from 2017-2027, according to California-based data provider All The Research.
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Gisec day two - in pictures
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By industry, internet and online services is the most served category with almost a quarter of market share, followed by computer software (16 per cent), financial services and insurance (8 per cent), media and entertainment (7 per cent) and cryptocurrency and blockchain (4 per cent), according to data from Statista.
Regionally, North America has the largest share of the market at almost 50 per cent, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific each, with about 20 per cent. Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa account for roughly 3 per cent each, All The Research said.
Companies, most notably in Big Tech, have recruited the hacker community to assist them in this endeavour.
Google, the world's biggest internet company, handed out a record $8.7m in bounty payouts in 2021, with the biggest a $157,000 reward for a security issue found within its Android mobile operating system.
In 11 years, the company made almost $38m in payouts.
Apple's Security Bounty programme, meanwhile, is more lucrative. Successful hunters can earn as much as $1m, and the iPhone maker will even match donations of the bounty payment to qualifying charities, according to its website.
Mr Al Jasim did not provide details of du's bug bounty rewards scheme, but said the efforts of their participants have been well recognised.
Previously, about 10 to 15 years back, cyber security was a luxury item to have, but now it’s now a necessity
Jasim Al Awadi,
head of government and key accounts at du
“For the bounty programme, we are part of the community and we are engaging by rewarding them based on the agreement between us and Yogosha,” he said.
The bug bounty programme is part of the wider efforts of the UAE’s wider efforts to strengthen its cyber defences at a time of an increased threat, Mr Al Jasim said.
Du, he said, continues to invest “billions” on an annual basis on its telecom infrastructure, with security “having a good chunk of that".
“We are investing in engineers, people and processes to build all of these defence mechanisms to protect the nation and the people living in it,” he said.
“About 10 to 15 years back, cyber security was a luxury item to have, but now it’s now a necessity. Cyber security is [part of our] DNA – it is something that we need to live with on a daily basis.”
The specs
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Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
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8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
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Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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