How We Help White Hat Hackers Get Paid What They’re Owed
You found the vulnerability, wrote it up carefully, and disclosed it in good faith. Then the company stopped answering your emails -- or worse, started treating you like the problem. Ethical hackers, also known as “white hats,” safeguard critical systems by identifying and reporting security vulnerabilities, and many companies promise financial rewards through “bug bounty” programs for responsible disclosure. Unfortunately, not every hacker gets paid.
At Simon Law Group LLC, we help ethical hackers assert their rights and secure compensation--whether a company failed to honor a bug bounty agreement or never had one in the first place.
The Challenge: No Contract, No Pay?
Many bug bounty programs are informal or vaguely worded, offering rewards “at the discretion” of the company. And in some cases, a company may not have a program at all--but a hacker still responsibly discloses a serious vulnerability. Despite acting in good faith, the hacker is met with indifference or hostility. This is one of the hardest--and most frustrating--situations our clients face.
That’s where we step in.
We often represent ethical hackers who come to us before they disclose a vulnerability, seeking help to negotiate fair terms upfront or structure a legal agreement that ensures compensation upon disclosure. These pre-disclosure negotiations can be sensitive and high-stakes, especially when the target company has no formal bug bounty program in place.
How We Help Ethical Hackers Get Paid
Our legal strategies include:
- Negotiating pre-disclosure agreements to secure payment terms and limit liability before sharing the vulnerability
- Asserting contractual and quasi-contractual claims when companies benefit from the vulnerability disclosure but refuse to compensate
- Navigating jurisdictional complexity, particularly when hackers and companies are based in different countries
- Advising on safe communication and legal exposure, especially under laws like the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)
White Hat, Black Letter Law
Companies depend on ethical hackers to secure their digital infrastructure--but on payment, many hide behind legal technicalities. We help remind them that ethical hacking, especially when done under a good-faith disclosure, is skilled labor that adds value. And value deserves fair compensation.