August 3, 2016 – Panasonic Avionics is engaging with elite ‘white hat’ hackers through bug bounty provider HackerOne to ensure the security of its inflight entertainment systems.
HackerOne has helped major companies such as General Motors, Uber, Twitter, Airbnb, DropBox and Adobe identify and fix security vulnerabilities as part of authorized bug bounty and vulnerability coordination programs.
Panasonic says it is taking part in the program as it is acknowledged as best practice for effective security by identifying any weaknesses in internet-connected systems.
The bug bounty program will begin by inviting a select group of hackers to participate and will launch at the upcoming DefCon Conference, which takes place on August 4-7, 2016 in Las Vegas.
“Panasonic Avionics has always taken a proactive approach to security,” said Michael Dierickx, director of security engineering and information security officer at Panasonic Avionics. “We have extensive processes in place to identify potential and emerging vulnerabilities, and we also engage with security consultation firms who provide penetration testing and other services.
“Still, these teams bring a fresh perspective and innovative ways to search for potential issues. We want to harness this out-of-the-box thinking and create a win-win scenario that rewards both Panasonic and this community for our hard work and dedication.”
HackerOne partnered with the Department of Defense earlier this year for the US Federal Government’s first ever bug bounty program, ‘Hack The Pentagon’, which helped resolve 138 valid vulnerabilities identified by the ethical hackers.
“With the HackerOne platform Panasonic Avionics has access to the world’s most powerful external security team, the global hacker community, to continue enhancing the security of their internet-connected systems,” said HackerOne CEO Marten Mickos. “Inviting white hat or ethical hackers to hunt for bugs is a powerful method for making connected technology safer for everyone.”
