Google dares hackers to hack Chrome OS - and will pay $2.71828 million as reward

[gameboy1977]

Google dares hackers to hack Chrome OS - and will pay $2.71828 million as rewardBy Michael Kwan | TechnoStorm Tech Trend ? Fri, Jan 24, 2014

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  Sundar Pichai, senior vice president for Chrome at Google Inc., holds up a new Chromebook ?

 

 

Rarely do you find a company that puts itself in the crosshairs of hackers, especially when you know there are some *very* talented ones out there (remember Anonymous?). In a time where companies try to stay out of the limelight, Google is doing the exact opposite - and for the fourth time, in fact.

Google is offering $2.71828 million for hackers who manage to hack into Chrome OS, in their annual security competition event, Google Pwnium. The number itself is a geek joke, actually - it's the mathematical constant 'e', which programmers use when writing algorithms. Translated into local numbers, that's RM9million / SGD3.5 million / P123 million.

Why is Google doing this, you ask? According to their blog announcement, they want to plug all security holes in their system, and learn from 'security researchers' (which I suppose is a nicer way to call hackers). It's a bold approach, but it's a fantastic way to ensure their software is truly secure (as opposed to Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer, which had numerous security loopholes for years).

If you're a 'security researcher' who's keen on taking up Google's challenge, e-mail security@chromium.org to register. Registration will close at 5:00 p.m. PST Monday, March 10th, 2014 (9am Tuesday for us in SEA). Official rules here.

Happy hacking security researching!

 

 

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[techbeck]

Will be interesting to see how long this takes...if it is possible.  Almost 3mil is a good incentive for hackers to try.

[Shadrack]

Oh I see.  I was all like: wtf is up with that number.  Didn't quite get to nerdgasam level for me.

[WhatTheSchmidt]

The numerical constant e - which also just happens to be the icon for Internet Explorer. Google taking yet another swipe at Microsoft.

[MindTrickz]

The numerical constant e - which also just happens to be the icon for Internet Explorer. Google taking yet another swipe at Microsoft.

 

[Mystic Mungis]

The numerical constant e - which also just happens to be the icon for Internet Explorer. Google taking yet another swipe at Microsoft.

Google also ends in an "e", take that MS!

[The_Observer]

So when they mean "Hack" do they mean gain remote access to a users google chrome os computer though internet connection or are they also including access though the machine itself.

[WhatTheSchmidt]

 

I watched that episode over the weekend, it was a good one.

 

But you got to say, there is more than just coincidence that they chose that number. Why not 3.1415 or one of the thousands of other numerical constants? Then again, anything Microsoft does turns into a giant conspiracy, but a web browser contest, the value e - nahhh, Google wouldn't do something like that. Nope, never.

[blerk]

What's the point of hacking Chrome OS when you can just get the data by via a court order? The NSA has got Chrome OS all figured out  :D  :ninja:  :shiftyninja: 

[astropheed Veteran]

I watched that episode over the weekend, it was a good one.

 

But you got to say, there is more than just coincidence that they chose that number. Why not 3.1415 or one of the thousands of other numerical constants? Then again, anything Microsoft does turns into a giant conspiracy, but a web browser contest, the value e - nahhh, Google wouldn't do something like that. Nope, never.

 

Pretty sure it's just a coincidence. And if it isn't, the only people that will get 'the joke' are conspiracy nuts, and no one would ever attempt to appease them on purpose. Coincidences are just that, coincidences.

[techbeck]

The numerical constant e - which also just happens to be the icon for Internet Explorer. Google taking yet another swipe at Microsoft.

 

In contemporary internet culture, individuals and organizations frequently pay homage to the number e.

For example, in the IPO filing for Google, in 2004, rather than a typical round-number amount of money, the company announced its intention to raise $2,718,281,828, which is e billion dollars to the nearest dollar. Google was also responsible for a billboard^[28] that appeared in the heart of Silicon Valley, and later in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; and Austin, Texas. It read "{first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com". Solving this problem and visiting the advertised web site (now defunct) led to an even more difficult problem to solve, which in turn led to Google Labs where the visitor was invited to submit a resume.^[29] The first 10-digit prime in e is 7427466391, which starts at the 99th digit.^[30]

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_%28mathematical_constant%29

[techbeck]

but a web browser contest, the value e - nahhh, Google wouldn't do something like that. Nope, never.

This is about the Chrome OS, not the Browser