Member-only story
How to Get Started with Bug Bounty: Earn Your First $100
I outline the simple, beginner-friendly process for getting your first $100 in bug bounty in this blog. Regardless of your background — student, security enthusiast, or someone new to ethical hacking — this article outlines the doable steps to get started.
Interested in earning your first $100 bug bounty? This is your straightforward route map from the beginning to your first payout:
You’ll learn:
What bug bounty platforms to sign up for
How to choose the right targets as a beginner
Essential skills and tools to get started
Tips for finding low-hanging bugs (like IDORs, misconfigurations, and exposed APIs)
How to write a solid, professional report that gets accepted
Step 1: Pick the Right Platforms
Start with beginner-friendly bug bounty platforms:
HackerOne — If you want to learn from public reports, try “HackerOne Hacktivity”
Bugcrowd — Offers “Vulnerability Disclosure Programs (VDPs)” with no specified scope, making it ideal for beginners.
️Intigriti — Clean UI and offers triage support.
