Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, known as du, is planning to offer a bug bounty as a service to its customers following the success of its trial programme.
A bug bounty is a reward given to ethical hackers who are able to discover and report a vulnerability – a bug – in a computer app or software, enabling solutions to be programmed before the bug becomes widespread.
The pilot phase of du's bug bounty programme, which was completed in two months and included the participation of several “elite security people”, allowed the telecom company to explore vulnerabilities before the services go to market, said Jasim Al Awadi, head of government and key accounts at du.
“We have concluded our bug bounty programme and the results are phenomenal. Very soon we will start implementing it in our network. We will have an on-premises server, then we will offer it as a service to our customers,” Mr Al Awadi told The National in an interview at the Global Information Security Expo and Conference in Dubai.
The UAE National Cybersecurity Council launched the bug bounty programme in August 2020 with the goal of strengthening the country's cyber security systems.
Du, along with e& — then known as Etisalat Group — and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, were among the first to trial it.
Abu Dhabi-based telecom operator e& – which rebranded last month – completed the first bug bounty programme in October during Gitex Technology Week.
The two-month pilot was conducted in collaboration with Yogosha, a Paris-based crowdsourced bug bounty platform, and Abu Dhabi-based defence consulting firm Beacon Red.
The global bug bounty market was valued at $223.1 million in 2020 and is projected to hit almost $5.5 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual rate of 54.4 per cent from 2017-2027, according to California-based data provider All The Research.
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Gisec day two - in pictures
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By industry, internet and online services is the most served category with almost a quarter of market share, followed by computer software (16 per cent), financial services and insurance (8 per cent), media and entertainment (7 per cent) and cryptocurrency and blockchain (4 per cent), according to data from Statista.
Regionally, North America has the largest share of the market at almost 50 per cent, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific each, with about 20 per cent. Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa account for roughly 3 per cent each, All The Research said.
Companies, most notably in Big Tech, have recruited the hacker community to assist them in this endeavour.
Google, the world's biggest internet company, handed out a record $8.7m in bounty payouts in 2021, with the biggest a $157,000 reward for a security issue found within its Android mobile operating system.
In 11 years, the company made almost $38m in payouts.
Apple's Security Bounty programme, meanwhile, is more lucrative. Successful hunters can earn as much as $1m, and the iPhone maker will even match donations of the bounty payment to qualifying charities, according to its website.
Mr Al Jasim did not provide details of du's bug bounty rewards scheme, but said the efforts of their participants have been well recognised.
Previously, about 10 to 15 years back, cyber security was a luxury item to have, but now it’s now a necessity
Jasim Al Awadi,
head of government and key accounts at du
“For the bounty programme, we are part of the community and we are engaging by rewarding them based on the agreement between us and Yogosha,” he said.
The bug bounty programme is part of the wider efforts of the UAE’s wider efforts to strengthen its cyber defences at a time of an increased threat, Mr Al Jasim said.
Du, he said, continues to invest “billions” on an annual basis on its telecom infrastructure, with security “having a good chunk of that".
“We are investing in engineers, people and processes to build all of these defence mechanisms to protect the nation and the people living in it,” he said.
“About 10 to 15 years back, cyber security was a luxury item to have, but now it’s now a necessity. Cyber security is [part of our] DNA – it is something that we need to live with on a daily basis.”
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Company%20profile
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Points classification after Stage 4
1. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 124
2. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 81
3. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 66
4. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 63
5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 43
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELEADING%20RUN%20SCORERS%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1%20Nicholas%20Pooran%2C%20261%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E2%20Muhammad%20Waseem%20(UAE)%2C%20248%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20244%3Cbr%3E4%20Johnson%20Charles%2C%20232%3Cbr%3E5%20Kusal%20Perera%2C%20230%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBEST%20BOWLING%20AVERAGE%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E(minimum%2010%20overs%20bowled)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E1%20Zuhaib%20Zubair%20(UAE)%2C%209%20wickets%20at%2012.44%3Cbr%3E2%20Mohammed%20Rohid%20(UAE)%2C%207%20at%2013.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Fazalhaq%20Farooqi%2C%2017%20at%2013.05%3Cbr%3E4%20Waqar%20Salamkheil%2C%2010%20at%2014.08%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5%20Aayan%20Khan%20(UAE)%2C%204%20at%2015.50%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E6%20Wanindu%20Hasaranga%2C%2012%20at%2016.25%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7%20Mohammed%20Jawadullah%20(UAE)%2C%2010%20at%2017.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C108hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C340Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%20(front%20axle)%3B%20two-speed%20transmission%20(rear%20axle)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh928%2C400%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOrders%20open%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
