Apple offers up to $200,000 to hack its systems

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Apple, maker of iPhone, iPad and Mac products, announced it will pay a "bounty" to hackers who uncover flaws and vulnerabilities in its technology.

The security bounty, or so-called bug bounty, is aimed at rewarding hackers who submit the vulnerabilities to the company for preemptive repairs, the company announced at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas.

The company will pay $200,000 for critical vulnerabilities, $25,000 for ways around Apple's digital compartments and into customer data and $50,000 for ways into iCloud data.

"It's getting increasingly difficult to find some of those most critical types of security vulnerabilities," Ivan Krstic, Apple's head of security engineering and architecture, said. "The Apple security-bounty program is going to reward researchers who actually share critical vulnerabilities with Apple."

Apple, in the past, stayed away from financial rewards, instead crediting anyone who turned over bugs by putting their names on its website.

Bug bounties are becoming increasingly popular among tech companies as hackers search for new ways to break into systems. Facebook and Google parent Alphabet Inc., have paid out millions in such bounties in the past few years. Just recently, the automotive industry, including Tesla and General Motors, has started offering them as vehicles increasingly rely on software control systems.