HackerOne Welcomes New CEO, Expands PartnerOne Program

Security company HackerOne announced in September it would welcome new CEO Kara Sprague, effective November 4. HackerOne followed that news with additional changes to its PartnerOne program targeting MSPs and others in the channel and tech ecosystem.

HackerOne expands offerings to dig deeper into enterprise security risk

These actions come as HackerOne expands its offerings beyond bug bounty, in which it is already a market leader, into new capabilities from threat hunting to penetration testing.

“I describe HackerOne really as the last line of defense for our customers,” Sprague said in an interview with Channel Insider. “Especially in a market of hundreds, if not thousands of security vendors, organizations have to prioritize their budgets and decide what to spend on. We serve as that last protective layer against threats.”

HackerOne offers to its users one unified platform that deploys capabilities including:

• Pentest as a Service, which allows security researchers access to an enterprise’s systems for the purpose of real-time testing and analysis of potential threats.
• Bug bounty, which leverages HackerOne’s global community of ethical hackers and researchers to find vulnerabilities before bad actors can.
• Time-bound and targeted testing that is automated through the platform.
• Code security audit, which again leverages the HackerOne community to specifically test source code and identify potential vulnerabilities.
• Vulnerability disclosure tracking to monitor and act on the threats identified within the platform.

“The place where businesses are most exposed is their digital surface,” said Sprague. “Let HackerOne vet ethical hackers, which we increasingly refer to as security researchers, and then we’ll structure programs so they can test your exposures.”

PartnerOne and newly appointed Channel VP aim to grow partner ecosystem

HackerOne already boasts a strong user base, including Fortune 100 companies, federal government agencies, and more, but the company recently strengthened its PartnerOne program and seems to be more heavily targeting the channel as a growth strategy.

In a press release announcing the expansion of the program, HackerOne outlined how it will provide “transparency and profitability for partners,” including VARs, service providers, and others.

Highlights of the program focus on support and enablement, including:

• A subscription-style pricing structure that ensures all bug bounty rewards are delivered to the researchers engaging on the platform to conduct the testing.
• Opportunity management, lead source sharing, and online training resources.
• Branded testimonials and case studies to market the efficiency of the platform.

The program also now has a dedicated leader, as John Addeo has been named the VP of Global Channels to “lead the program and advocate for ParterOne’s partners and their customers’ best interests.”

“A rapidly evolving threat landscape has driven strong market demand for the adversarial testing skills, services, and risk reduction that only security researchers can provide,” said Addeo in the press release. “Expanding access to HackerOne across the channel enables our growing partner network to build an additional revenue opportunity and support their customers through increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges.”

Sprague charts early priority areas as she begins transition into role

In the press release announcing Sprague’s hiring, outgoing CEO Marten Mickos said Sprague was “ideally suited” to take over his role and lead the company forward.

“Kara’s outstanding track record in leadership, technology, and strategy, combined with her dedication to the betterment of our digital world, makes her the natural leader for HackerOne’s next major stage of growth and success,” Mickos said.

Sprague herself sees her new role as a “deeply humbling” opportunity and said she looks forward to getting to work on expanding the platform, deepening the community experience, and continuing her focus on diversity and inclusion in tech.

“I’m still about seven weeks out from stepping into the role, but there are three priorities coming into focus for me, including extending our platform capabilities, investing in and growing our community, and nurturing the trust we’ve built with our customers,” Sprague said. 

Within the already robust platform, Sprague wants to see continued innovation beyond the bug bounty program that has built much of HackerOne’s early success. This will include strengthening capabilities on API testing and creating practices to deploy AI system testing to meet customer needs in securing emerging technologies.

Ongoing education, training, and other growth opportunities for the community of hackers and researchers HackerOne relies on for its testing programs are also important to Sprague, as she highlights those individuals as key to the success of the platform’s ability to serve customers.

Sprague also has a long history of empowering girls and women in technology careers. She spent six years as a board member of Girls Who Code and remains committed to building opportunities for women in technology.

She is now bringing that passion to HackerOne and its community of researchers, noting that the percentage of women who are in security-focused roles is lower than that of those in technology roles broadly. Overall, Sprague is ready to embrace the vision and mission of the company as she takes the helm and guides its next stage of development.

“I want our customers and everyone we work with to know I will lead with transparency and integrity,” Sprague said. “I am deeply humbled by the mission of HackerOne to ultimately build a safer digital landscape.”

Sprague will be the CEO of HackerOne on November 4, with outgoing CEO Marten Mickos shifting to an advisory role.

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