The first bug bounty program<\/a> was released in 1983 for developers to hack Hunter & Ready\u2019s Versatile Real-Time Executive Operating System. If a developer reported a bug, they would receive a Volkswagen Beetle (aka a VW \u201cbug\u201d) as a reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most modern bug bounty programs pay cash rewards \u2014 you can receive rewards ranging from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars per disclosure. Although the industry is very competitive, there are even hackers who do this full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to try your hand at bug bounty hunting? Let\u2019s get started with our list of bug bounty tools to transform you from a beginner to a hunter in a bug bounty program. This list of bug bounty training resources includes tools for those who prefer to read, watch videos, take a course, practice hacking a website, and jump right into a bug bounty program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking for a few books for bug bounty training? Here\u2019s a couple of the best bug bounty books for you to start learning how to hack:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This book is the most popular among bug bounty hunters and cybersecurity professionals for insight into the mind of a black-hat hacker. It is also a great starting point–you can learn how to think like a hacker by reading an interesting story rather than instructional material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGhost In The Wires\u201d<\/a> is the story of Kevin Mitnick, one of the best computer break-in artists ever, who went on the run for hacking into the world\u2019s biggest companies. His series of escapes led authorities and companies to reevaluate their current level of security. He\u2019s now an ethical hacker<\/a> who teaches companies how to secure their systems against unscrupulous hackers (like he used to be!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people refer to this as the bible of web application hacking because it provides step-by-step strategies to attack (red team) and defend (blue team) web platforms. In “The Web Application Hacker\u2019s Handbook: Finding and Exploiting Security Flaws, 2nd Edition,” you\u2019ll learn about hacking certain types of technology and remoting frameworks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a bonus, there\u2019s also a bug bounty website paired with the book\u2019s content. This gives you an opportunity to apply everything you learn. As such, this book is a valuable resource for beginning hackers in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Web Hacking 101<\/a> is an eBook that was developed by software security expert Peter Yaworski. His goal was to help the HackerOne community profit from their bug bounty hunting skills within a bug bounty program. Basically, this bug bounty tool will help you learn how to monetize your cybersecurity knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to learn how to hack as a beginner for free, HackerOne makes this eBook available for free. Once you sign up or log into your free HackerOne account, you\u2019ll receive the publication via email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to the Web Hacking 101 eBook, HackerOne also offers a Hacker101 course<\/a> for people who are interested in learning how to hack for free. This bug bounty course provides a great deal of video lessons and capture-the-flag challenges on the topic of web security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another highly regarded bug bounty course in the industry for learning how to hack as a beginner is PortSwigger\u2019s Web Security Academy. This free training is provided by the creators of Burp Suite (a popular application security testing software) to help boost your career with interactive labs and the chance to learn from experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The team of bug bounty experts is led by the author of The Web Application Hacker\u2019s Handbook.<\/em> Just a few of the topics covered in this this training include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more about this course, check out the Portswigger Web Security Academy<\/a> website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SANS Cyber Security Skills Roadmap<\/a> is an interactive resource that pairs users with 60+ courses that match their goals and skill levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SANS Institute, a cybersecurity training organization, developed the roadmap to help learners navigate a series of courses that start with baseline skills, then move on to crucial skills for specialized roles. One of the first courses suggested is SEC504 Hacker Techniques, which will equip you with the knowledge to understand hackers\u2019 strategies, find vulnerabilities, and change from defensive to offensive during an attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: Unlike the other resources listed here, these courses are not free.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once a beginner bug bounty hunter has read plenty of books and watched enough courses, it\u2019s time to get in the field. After all, every technology professional needs real world applications to fully understand the concepts they learn. Bug bounty websites that you are legally able to hack is the next step to growing your cybersecurity skillset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a list of some of the best hacker websites for beginners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Gruyere<\/a> is one of the most recommended bug bounty websites for beginners. It\u2019s often referred to as \u201ccheesy\u201d because the website is full of vulnerabilities for people to learn how to hack. The bugs range from cross-site scripting (CSS) to denial-of-service issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s particularly useful is that this site is written in Python for hackers to learn via black box and white box testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HackThis!!<\/a> offers over 50 levels of difficulty so you can start as a bug bounty beginner. The goal of this site it to show how hacks, dumps, and defacements are accomplished. It also has an active community to give you help hacking and share important security news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This penetration testing lab is the perfect hacking site to advance your bug bounty knowledge as a beginner or pentest master. Hack The Box<\/a> is for students, cybersecurity employees, and self-taught hackers to join in on one of their 127 challenges (or rent a private lab).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re interested in a few more bug bounty websites to make sure you\u2019re a well-rounded hacker, check out our other article on 13 Vulnerable Websites & Web Apps for Pen Testing and Research<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hope you didn\u2019t think a list of bug bounty books, courses, websites, and programs would be the end of your training. Let\u2019s share our favorite bug bounty tools that don\u2019t fit into those categories but are very powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you decide to pursue a cybersecurity career at a company, Pluralsight<\/a> is a great way to continue your learning as you receive projects. You can easily browse their library of Python, security fundamentals, and CompTIA Security+ lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hacktivity will become one of your favorite tools as you navigate the bug bounty industry as a beginner. Just call this your VIP seat to the bug bounty game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This tool, also by HackerOne, presents the latest hacker activity regarding bugs reported within bug bounty programs. Each Hacktivity news item will include the type of attack, the company website, and the bounty paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out the Hacktivity<\/a> website for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBug Bounty Tools for Beginners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bug Bounty Training Books<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures as the World\u2019s Most Wanted Hacker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bug](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/bug-bounty-training-program-resource1.png\")
2. The Web Application Hacker\u2019s Handbook: Finding and Exploiting Security Flaws, 2nd<\/sup> Edition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"bug](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/bug-bounty-training-program-resource2.png\")
3. Web Hacking 101: How to Make Money Hacking Ethically<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bug](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/bug-bounty-training-program-resource3.png\")
Bug Bounty Training Courses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Hacker101<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Web Security Academy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. SANS Cyber Security Skills Roadmap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/sans-cyber-security-skills-roadmap.png\")
Bug Bounty Websites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Google Gruyere<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. HackThis!!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Hack The Box<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other Bug Bounty Tools for Beginners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Pluralsight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Hacktivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Shodan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n