Podcast Summary: CyberWire Daily — "Strengthening Product Security Through Ethical Hacker Collaboration" [CyberWire-X]
Date: August 17, 2025
Host: Dave Bittner, N2K Networks
Guests: Annie Turner (Senior Security Engineer & Bug Bounty Program Lead, Adobe), Jasmine Larry (Ethical Hacker, Adobe Top Researcher)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the dynamic partnership between companies and ethical hackers within bug bounty programs, focusing on how trust, clear communication, and collaboration turn vulnerability reporting into a critical security asset. With insider perspectives from Annie Turner of Adobe and top researcher Jasmine Larry, the conversation covers motivations, challenges, common misconceptions, and the growing role of AI in this space.

Guest Introductions & Backgrounds

• Annie Turner (01:39):

  • Started as a software engineer with basic security awareness.

  • A cybersecurity class during her master’s program revealed the fragility of digital systems, sparking a shift to full-time security.

  • Sees bug bounty programs as a way to connect "builders and breakers" in a positive and impactful way.

    "Nothing we build is truly secure by default. That really sparked something in me."
    — Annie Turner, 01:56

• Jasmine Larry (03:03):

  • IT professional turned pen tester, inspired by a passionate teacher.

  • Discovered bug bounties after gaining initial experience through certifications and pen testing.

  • Transitioned to full-time bug bounty hunting in September 2024 after years of part-time involvement.

    "It did not start well... it took a year to improve my skills... and then it eventually worked out."
    — Jasmine Larry, 03:32

Adobe’s Bug Bounty Structure (04:22)

• Public Program:
  Open to everyone, covers multiple Adobe products with a promise for prompt review and assessment of every submitted report.

• VIP (Private) Program:
  Invite-only, tailored for top researchers. Offers:

  • Early access to new scopes

  • Personalized feedback

  • Direct collaboration with product and security teams

    "A great way for us to learn from their expertise, and for them to get more value from the program."
    — Annie Turner, 05:10

Why Adobe? Researcher’s Perspective (05:42)

• First Engagement:
  Jasmine found a vulnerability outside the scope of a scheduled pen test.

• Experience:
  Adobe’s quick response, fast payment, and respectful communication prompted Jasmine to become a regular participant.

  "They treated me pretty well. So I figured I'd stay... it's been my main program... for at least the past year."
  — Jasmine Larry, 06:25

Trust & Collaboration: The Core of Bug Bounty Success

• Trust as Foundation (07:15):

  • Companies must show researchers they take their findings seriously and will reward them fairly.

  • Researchers must act ethically and stay within defined program scopes.

    "The heart of a bug bounty program should be trust... if researchers don't trust that we'll take their work seriously, they won't engage."
    — Annie Turner, 07:19

• Mutual Benefit:

  • Fast, transparent, and respectful communication.

  • Clear program rules and fair rewards motivate high-quality participation.

    "When researchers trust they'll be rewarded appropriately, I think they're more motivated to prioritize our program and submit their higher quality findings."
    — Annie Turner, 08:50

The Importance of Timely Payment & Remediation

• Researcher Perspective (09:13):
  Fast payouts and bug fixes keep ethical hackers engaged and reduce duplicate findings.

  "If they fix bugs fast, that means I have less chances of getting duplicates... Fix fast and pay fast is definitely one of the main criteria..."
  — Jasmine Larry, 09:41

Debunking Bug Bounty Myths (10:00)

Annie Turner Highlights:

• Myth 1: Programs are open invitations for exploitation.

  • Reality: They are carefully managed, with defined scope and controls.

• Myth 2: Bug bounties flood teams with low-quality reports.

  • Reality: Quality is managed through triage and clear scope.

• Myth 3: Bug bounties replace other security measures.

  • Reality: They complement pen testing and secure development.

  "...bug bounty is, in my opinion, best seen as a complement to those efforts, a way to add continuous and external testing and fresh perspectives beyond what an internal team can provide."
  — Annie Turner, 11:38

• Process at Adobe:
  Every report is validated, assessed for impact, and often triggers broader root cause analysis to prevent recurrence.

  "We analyze root causes to prevent similar issues from recurring..."
  — Annie Turner, 12:10

Researcher Challenges & Setting Expectations (13:51)

• Jasmine’s Experience:
  Familiarity with product security gave realistic expectations about reporting timelines and payout processes.

  "I know... when I find a bug and then don't get paid the next day, I know it's totally normal, right."
  — Jasmine Larry, 14:28

The Central Role of Communication (15:56 & 16:17)

• Company Practice:

  • Prompt initial response to every bug.

  • Clear and ongoing dialogue with both internal product teams and external researchers.

  • Researchers are updated post-fix to reinforce that their contributions matter.

    "...when we receive a bug, we ensure that our researchers are communicated with very quickly."
    — Annie Turner, 16:23

• Researcher Expectations:

  • Desire for transparency about the status of submitted reports.

  • Frustration arises when communication dries up—but at Adobe, this is rare.

    "Communication is a big key in bug bounty's success from both side, from researcher side and the product side as well."
    — Jasmine Larry, 18:15

AI’s Emerging Role in Bug Bounty (18:36)

• Jasmine’s Use (18:58):

  • Uses AI daily for:

    • Building proofs-of-concept (PoCs)
    • Brainstorming exploitation ideas
    • Improving bug report writing (especially for non-native English)
    • Automating some research processes

  • Takes care not to expose sensitive details to AI.

    "It is replying me sometimes with really good stuff that I didn't think of... since English is not my first language... I use it sometimes to describe the impact better..."
    — Jasmine Larry, 19:18

• Annie’s Use (20:32):

  • AI automates internal processes, enabling the security team to focus on critical issues and actionable insights.

  • AI critical as Adobe’s portfolio expands to AI-driven products.

    "...those automations help us focus our attention more on the critical vulnerabilities and streamline triage and remediation..."
    — Annie Turner, 20:40

Looking to the Future (21:47)

• Jasmine’s Take:

  • Unsure if AI will eventually replace bug hunters but sees value in collaboration.

  • The field must adapt and demonstrate the continued worth of human expertise.

    "I'm hoping that it won't happen. It'll just be like a collaborative effort with AI, because I do love hacking and love finding bugs."
    — Jasmine Larry, 22:20

• Annie’s Vision:

  • Bug bounty will become an essential, proactive part of security strategy.

  • Data from bug bounties will increasingly inform broader business risk decisions.

  • More automation, AI-assisted triage, and even broader scopes (cloud, AI, etc.).

  • Collaboration between companies and researchers will deepen, making programs a key enabler of innovation and risk management.

    "...integrating bug bounty insights to broader security metrics or helping leadership make informed decisions on where to invest in security engineering and controls."
    — Annie Turner, 23:19

Memorable Quotes

• "The heart of a bug bounty program should be trust."
  — Annie Turner, 07:19

• "Fix fast and pay fast is definitely one of the main criteria when I look for a new program to hack on or to stay on an existing program."
  — Jasmine Larry, 09:54

• "Bug bounty is best seen as a complement to those efforts, a way to add continuous and external testing and fresh perspectives beyond what an internal team can provide."
  — Annie Turner, 11:38

• "Communication is a big key in bug bounty's success from both sides."
  — Jasmine Larry, 18:15

Key Takeaways for Listeners

• Successful bug bounty programs are built on trust, fast and fair processes, and strong communication.
• Bug bounty collaborations hinge on clear expectations, transparent policies, and company investment in the relationship.
• AI is reshaping both hunting methodologies and internal processes but is most powerful when complementing human expertise.
• The future points toward bug bounty becoming a proactive pillar in security and risk management—extending into cloud, AI, and more.

Essential Segments & Timestamps

• Introductions & background: 01:39 – 04:20
• Adobe program structure: 04:22 – 05:41
• Researcher’s motivation & experience: 05:42 – 07:14
• Building trust & collaboration: 07:15 – 10:00
• Myths & misconceptions: 10:00 – 13:51
• Researcher frustrations & expectations: 13:51 – 15:56
• The importance of communication: 15:56 – 18:35
• AI’s impact & future: 18:36 – 24:54

This episode offers a rich, insider's view of the mechanics and human elements that make bug bounty programs successful, and the pivotal role they play in modern cybersecurity.