10 Reasons Why Crowdsourcing Is The Future of Cybersecurity

The scale and complexity of cyber threats demand a dynamic, collective approach. Crowdsourcing is a game-changer in the future of cybersecurity.
Main image for a Crowdsourcing |Week blog on 10 reasons why crowdsourcing is the future of cybersecurity

Written by Clive Reffell

Cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented speed, outpacing traditional security measures and leaving organisations vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. While enterprises have historically relied on in-house security teams and outsourced firms to protect their systems, the scale and complexity of modern cyber threats demand a more dynamic, collective approach. This is where crowdsourcing has emerged as a game-changer in the future of cybersecurity.

By leveraging the collective intelligence of ethical hackers, security researchers, and global communities, organisations can identify and patch vulnerabilities faster than ever before. Crowdsourced security models—such as bug bounty programs and open-source threat intelligence—have already proven their effectiveness. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Tesla actively reward independent researchers for discovering security flaws, often finding critical vulnerabilities that internal teams might have missed.

Beyond identifying weaknesses, crowdsourcing also strengthens real-time threat detection. Community-driven platforms and networks of freelance gig workers analyse vast amounts of cyber threat data across a number of organisations. This means they can offer insights that help organisations predict and prevent attacks before they occur. This decentralised approach not only enhances security resilience but also democratises cybersecurity, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Cybersecurity platforms are competing with each other for businesses. Within their networks of ethical hackers, the gig workers are competing with each other for not only income but also peer group respect and status. This competitiveness is sometimes gamified and encouraged with leaderboards. In-house teams, by comparison, could become relatively complacent within a company mindset, and with less exposure to problems other organisations are experiencing.

Image in a Crowdsourcing Week blog on crowdsourcing cybersecurity to counter cyber threats

Crowdsourcing is the future of cybersecurity. Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

As cybercriminals continue to innovate, so must the defenders. Crowdsourcing thus represents the future of cybersecurity—a shift from isolated defence strategies to a collective, proactive effort where security is strengthened by the collective intelligence of the many rather than the few.

The question is no longer whether organisations should embrace crowdsourced security, but how quickly they can integrate it into their defence strategies. Here are 10 compelling reasons why businesses should consider integrating crowdsourcing into their cybersecurity strategy.

1. Expanding the Scope of Cybersecurity Testing

Traditional security teams are often limited by their size and scope. Crowdsourcing opens up cybersecurity to a global pool of ethical hackers with diverse skills and perspectives. The Bugcrowd platform, for example, connects companies to thousands of vetted security researchers who can identify vulnerabilities that in-house teams might miss.

2. Real-World Application Scenarios

Crowdsourcing adapts to the evolving threat landscape by leveraging real-world hacking techniques. This ensures that vulnerabilities are tested in ways that closely mimic actual cyberattacks. Security researchers can test IoT devices, cloud infrastructures, and mobile apps under realistic conditions.

3. Skill Shortages, Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability

There is a worldwide shortage of specialised cybersecurity experts, and a 2024 UK Government report is just one example of the impact this is having. An estimated 637,000 UK businesses – 44% of the total – have employees responsible for cybersecurity who lack the confidence to carry out basic tasks set out in the government-endorsed Cyber Essentials scheme. They are also not using external cybersecurity providers for these tasks. Similarly, approximately 390,000 businesses (27% of the total) have gaps in advanced skills, such as penetration testing.

Skill shortages mean hiring a full-time in-house team can be very expensive. Whereas crowdsourcing provides access to global expertise on a payment-by-results model, only paying for identified and verified vulnerabilities. This ensures budget efficiency and makes it a cost-effective solution.

4. Continuous and On-Demand Security Testing

Unlike scheduled periodic penetration tests, crowdsourced platforms provide ongoing testing. Bug bounty programs operate 24/7, offering a continuous security solution that ensures vulnerabilities are identified and patched faster, reducing exposure time.

5. Gamification and Motivation in the Future of Cybersecurity

Ethical hackers are incentivized through rewards, recognition, and leaderboards, fostering a competitive spirit that drives high-quality results. Additionally, platforms like Bugcrowd reward researchers with sliding scale payouts based on the severity of the vulnerabilities they uncover. The race is therefore always on to see who can find the most serious weaknesses.

6. Building Trust and Transparency

Crowdsourcing promotes a culture of transparency in cybersecurity by involving external researchers in vulnerability discovery. Public bug bounty programs demonstrate a company’s commitment to security and openness, which builds trust with customers and other stakeholders who see that a company is taking the future of cybersecurity seriously.

7. Diverse Skill Sets and Global Perspectives

Crowdsourcing attracts researchers with varied technical and cultural backgrounds and expertise. This diversity increases the likelihood of discovering unconventional vulnerabilities.

A global crowd might include specialists in niche areas like blockchain, machine learning, quantum computing or AI security, complementing in-house capabilities where team members may not be required to possess these skills and insights.

8. Success Stories of Crowdsourced Cybersecurity

Companies like Tesla, Shopify, and Mastercard have used crowdsourced security platforms to safeguard their systems from cyber threats effectively.

Google’s Vulnerability Reward Program is one of the most well-known and successful bug bounty programmes in the industry. The programme received over 8,000 vulnerability reports and has paid out over $15 million in rewards to participants. In October 2024 it launched a new initiative, the Google Cloud-specific Vulnerability Reward Program (VRP). 

As of January 23, 2025, the Meta Bug Bounty programme has paid out a total of over $17 million. Selected hackers are invited to attend an annual conference with paid-for travel and accommodation. 2024’s hacker conference was in South Africa. Other loyalty bonus perks are available. There are five tiers of hackers, ranging from Bronze at the entry level up to Diamond status for anyone who has discovered ten or more valid bugs.

9. The Human Element in Automated Security

While AI and automation are vital to meet the scale of the threats, human creativity and intuition are irreplaceable in identifying complex, context-specific vulnerabilities. Ethical hackers often identify logical flaws that automated tools miss. Crowdsourcing thus blends the best of both worlds.

10. Overcoming Challenges with Crowdsourced Cybersecurity

There are common concerns among organisations seeking tight cybersecurity, such as trustworthiness and data confidentiality. However, the relevant platforms do explain how they vet and manage researchers. Platforms like Bugcrowd use rigorous screening processes and NDAs to ensure ethical behaviour and data security.

Key Takeaways

These are 10 compelling reasons why businesses should consider integrating crowdsourcing into their cybersecurity strategy. Platforms like Bugcrowd provide the tools and frameworks, and select and manage the researchers/ethical hackers, to make it seamless and effective. Further, accessing the collective intelligence of a crowd of ethical hackers will accelerate any company’s use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing to improve security and threat detection. 

Join our Live Roundtable on Crowdsourced Cybersecurity

Whether you are in innovation, automation, or on an entrepreneurship journey, don’t miss our “Unlocking the Power of Crowdsourced Cybersecurity” Crowd // Sessions event on February 27, 2025. It will inspire you with new ideas, insights, and skills to harness the massive opportunities in the future of cybersecurity. Register now to attend, free places end on February 3.

From our panel of crowdsourcing and cybersecurity global practitioners you will learn about:

  • Rapid Identification of Vulnerabilities: Crowdsourced cybersecurity leverages the collective knowledge and expertise of a diverse community to identify cyber threats and vulnerabilities faster than traditional methods. This speed is crucial in a world where threats can emerge at any moment.
  • Being Proactively Defensive: Crowdsourced cybersecurity enables organisations to be proactive rather than reactive in the face of threats, reducing the likelihood and impact of cyber incidents.
  • Compliance and Regulation: Crowdsourced cybersecurity can help organisations meet compliance requirements and regulatory standards by continuously assessing their security measures.
  • and much more.

Register now to attend, free places end on February 3.

About Author

About Author

Clive Reffell

Clive has been sourcing, creating and publishing content for Crowdsourcing Week since May 2016. He uses knowledge and experience gained in a 30+ year marketing career in London, UK, plus formal marketing qualifications. Clive operates as an independent crowdfunding adviser, helping SMEs and startups to run successful crowdfunding projects, and also with their wider social media and content marketing issues.

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