GitHub Boosts Bug Bounty Rewards for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2025

GitHub Marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month with Enhanced Bug Bounty Incentives

GitHub has launched its annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month initiatives for 2025, introducing enhanced incentives for security researchers and spotlighting contributions from the bug bounty community. The program, running throughout October, includes a 10% bonus for valid vulnerability submissions targeting specific GitHub features, alongside events aimed at fostering diversity in cybersecurity.

Key Initiatives for October 2025

1. Bonus Rewards for Critical Features

For the duration of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, GitHub is offering an additional 10% payout on eligible vulnerability reports affecting:

• Copilot Coding Agent
• GitHub Spark
• Copilot Spaces

Eligibility Requirements:

• Reports must explicitly demonstrate the vulnerability’s impact on one of the specified features.
• Submissions must be submitted between October 1–31, 2025.

2. Glass Firewall Conference: Empowering Women in Security

GitHub, in collaboration with Capital One, Salesforce, and HackerOne, is co-hosting the Glass Firewall Conference, an event dedicated to supporting women in security research and ethical hacking. The conference aims to provide foundational knowledge, networking opportunities, and a welcoming environment for women exploring cybersecurity careers.

3. Researcher Spotlights: Celebrating Community Contributions

As part of its ongoing recognition of security researchers, GitHub will feature interviews with bug bounty participants, highlighting their methodologies, experiences, and contributions to the platform’s security. Previous spotlights include:

• @chen-robert and @ginkoid
• @yvvdwf
• @ahacker1

Additional spotlights will be published throughout October.

Impact and Next Steps

GitHub’s bug bounty program plays a critical role in securing its platform, with submissions directly improving the safety of its products, developers, and customers. The 10% bonus incentive for Copilot and Spark-related vulnerabilities underscores GitHub’s focus on hardening its AI-driven development tools against emerging threats.

For security researchers interested in participating:

• Review the program scope, rules, and rewards.
• Ensure submissions clearly articulate the vulnerability’s relevance to Copilot Coding Agent, GitHub Spark, or Copilot Spaces to qualify for the bonus.
• Follow GitHub’s blog for upcoming researcher spotlights and event updates.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month serves as a reminder of the collaborative effort required to safeguard the software ecosystem. GitHub’s initiatives aim to incentivize research while fostering a more inclusive and skilled security community.