The white hat hacker Ahmed Sherif, alias “Batee5a”, is honored by the German development studio Innogames in the game Forge of Empires. An NPC modeled after him even makes an appearance in the game.
That hackers like those in FIFA 20 do not only engage in mischief in a game but can also significantly contribute to security is proven by white-hat hacker Ahmed Sherif, alias “Batee5a”.
Who is “Batee5a”? The Egyptian bug bounty hunter helps the successful German development studio Innogames to find security vulnerabilities in the online game Forge of Empires. As he does not misuse his hacking skills, he is referred to as a white-hat hacker.
What has the hacker achieved so far? “Batee5a” discovered more than 58 vulnerabilities together with 195 other hackers, which have since been fixed.
As part of a bug bounty hunter program, 22,500 euros were paid out to the hackers.
12,000€ and a character of their own for hackers
What does “Batee5a” receive? Innogames rewards hackers who help them not only with money. The most valuable among them receives a special honor. “Batee5a” has proven to be the most effective hacker. An avatar based on his likeness will be created, which you can then select in Forge of Empires. The avatar will be introduced in the next update.
The white-hat hacker has discovered 31 security vulnerabilities since joining the online strategy game Forge of Empires in early 2019 and has received about 12,000 euros in rewards.
How does he react to this honor? Ahmed “Batee5a” Sherif said: “It’s so cool to see my face building a prehistoric city in a game that my friends play. I’m incredibly proud that my hard work is recognized and appreciated by a company that I personally value a lot. I hope it inspires others to see someone like me in the game who protects the game world – and its software. I also hope that these players will develop their skills from the games and then bring that experience as white-hat hackers to enhance security for everyone.”
What does Innogames say about the situation? The company is thrilled with the great work “Batee5a” has done so far. “We are pleased to reward Batee5a with a personalized character in Forge of Empires for his outstanding work on our bug bounty program,” says Stefan Walter, Product Head at InnoGames.
“Passionate, collaborative, and fair, Batee5a sets the standard for what it means to be a true gamer who is deeply committed to both improving the game and winning.”
