HN Explorer

Ask HN: Where can I find a white hat hacker

9 points by dynofuz ↗ HN
We run a small startup with very sensitive data. We've done a lot to secure it, but I'd love to get input from a white hat and do some deeper security testing. How do I find a white hat hacker / security expert I can trust and bring into the fold for a security audit?

12 comments

[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 31.7 ms ] thread
brianwawok
I am not sure a white hat is going to add value in most cases.

You have sensitive data and are worried about security. This is good (far too many people aren't). Bang for buck though, you are going to do better with a very security minded developer. A good developer with OS knowledge can make sure your code base is safe from all the common vulns and follows best practices. In general, that would be a lot more useful to you than someone that would come in and maybe find a hole somewhere.

Now if you did something very nich like invented your own crypto algo, and you need a white hat crypto guy to go test it - sure - get an outside set of eyes. But for someone to check for root access being disabled over ssh and no SQL injections? Seems overkill. Fortune 500 companies will throw millions at white hats, and only find a few vulns. As a startup I don't think you can do that (unless your funding rocks).

level3
This seems like a poor approach if you are really serious about the security of your data. Proper pen testing encompasses more than a single app you may be developing.

1) A developer can only help secure your code base, not your entire infrastructure and company-wide security practices.

2) A single security-minded developer does not suddenly make the rest of your developers more security-minded (not to mention your non-developers).

3) Even the most security-minded developers may lack knowledge of specific security threats. They are primarily focused on development, not keeping up on every new vulnerability or attack technique.

I agree that cost may be an issue, but pretending that security needs can be solved by finding the right developers is pretty short-sighted.

brianwawok
I think it is a more likely path to success then hiring a pen tester and hoping he finds all your bugs!

Fortune 500 companies spend millions on pen testing and miss stuff. How much can you afford to spend for a startup, and what will your ROI be?

I have nothing against pen testing. But it should be like your 7th line of defense. Not sure most startups have the other 6 figured out....

ahazred8ta
"some deeper security testing ... a security audit"

Sounds like you want to start with feedback from Wiser Heads about your architecture, rather than a hit-and-run pen test.

teenageSec
Start a bug bounty and you'll get some attention from white hats. Or post the link here and with your permission I'll give it a quick look through.
alltakendamned
Look for a company offering penetration testing services, there's quite a lot around, from one-person freelancers to large shops with 1000+ employees.
sarciszewski
If you need someone to look over your code and configuration to verify that you're secure, check out our work at https://paragonie.com and feel free to send us an email.
dsacco
I run Breaking Bits Security (https://breakingbits.com). We work with a lot of the YC community. Our rates are also a lot more sane than most of the larger consulting shops since we have no sales, marketing or account management teams to support :).

We offer web application security assessments, mobile application security assessments and source code review. We also offer company training and reverse engineering services, but I'm assuming you are most interested in web app sec and source code review, correct?

Check us out if you're interested, my email is in my profile. Good luck with whatever you choose.

vong
A heads up, the source code analysis link is broken.
dsacco
On the front page? Thanks, just fixed that. It was working in the navigation bar, just didn't have the most recent link in that section. I appreciate the heads up :)
mreeder
What is your motivation for having security testing done? Are you subject to regulatory requirements? Or are you just doing it for your own peace of mind?

What stage are you in the SDLC?

My email address is in my profile - happy to chat and help you figure out the best approach.

atmosx
I would hire these guys[1]. I used be in the same "crew" with one of them back in 2003. I trust his skills. Some of them are Phrack authors (is this a thing these days? Can't tell).

Note that I have no affiliation with them.

[1] http://census-labs.com/