Gulf Bank launches Bug Bounty and Vulnerability Disclosure Program

03/07/2025 05:38 AST

As part of Gulf Bank of Kuwait long-term vision to enhance cybersecurity and in line with its strong commitment to protect its customers' data and digital systems from potential threats and hackers, Gulf Bank has officially launched its Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) and Bug Bounty program. This program seeks to involve the cybersecurity community, comprising experts, specialists, and ethical hackers in assisting the Bank in identifying and resolving vulnerabilities that may affect its systems and services. The objective is to allow the Bank to address the vulnerabilities or issue before they can be exploited by unauthorized individuals.

Gulf Bank believes that collaborating with the global cyber researcher community is one of the most powerful tools for creating a secure, reliable digital platform and supports the march towards a more secure ecosystem. As this program is part of the Bank's ongoing strategy to adopt the latest technological solutions in cybersecurity. The program also reflects the Bank's commitment to transparency and openness to specialized expertise.

Speaking about the launch event, Ross McNaughton, Chief Information Security Officer at Gulf Bank said: "The launch of the Bug Bounty and Disclosure program represents the next step towards enhancing the security of the products and services offered by the Bank. It contributes to the early detection and effective resolution of vulnerabilities, issue, error or technical glitch, thereby improving digital protection and increasing customer trust. The program also provides a rapid response mechanism for security risks and serves as a technical platform to support innovation, trial new services and build an active, collaborative cybersecurity community.

He added: "The success of this program will enhance customer confidence in the Bank's digital services and reflects our ongoing commitment to lead in protecting our customers data, swift and continual innovation and development in cybersecurity. It also adopts leading global practices with Cybersecurity community engagement, helping the Bank support cybersecurity advancement in Kuwait and across the region."

Gulf Bank launch an open invitation to all cybersecurity professionals, researcher and enthusiast "hackers" to participate in its Vulnerability Disclosure Program and Bug Bounty program. Any individual with the knowledge and skills to analyze and identify security weaknesses, hack or hacking, is eligible to be part of this professional initiative. McNaughton concluded by saying: "If you believe you have discovered a security vulnerability or feature that could impact the Bank's systems or services, we encourage you to report it immediately through the official channel and you may be eligible for a financial reward. The rewards' value will be determined by the Bank's specialized team based on the severity of the reported issue.

Kuwait Times