1. Application & Resume Review
Submit your application via the Synack website or be referred by an existing SRT member
Your background is reviewed, especially:
Proven bug bounty experience (HackerOne, Bugcrowd, etc.)
Certifications (e.g., OSCP, OSCE, CRTO)
Real-world exploitation experience
Solid understanding of web and network security
2. Initial Screening (Eligibility Check)
You may be asked to fill out a questionnaire or complete an eligibility check, which involves:
Legal background checks
Identity verification (KYC)
Citizenship/residency validation (must be from an allowed country due to export control restrictions)
3. Skills Assessment (Practical Test)
This is the most critical stage:
You will be given access to the Synack Red Team Exam Environment, which is a private platform mimicking a real-world network or web application environment
Your goal is to find and report vulnerabilities using professional methodology
The test includes:
Realistic targets (web apps, APIs, services)
Requirement to write a quality report for each finding (impact, steps to reproduce, technical detail)
Usually, you must submit 2–3 valid vulnerabilities, such as:
IDOR
XSS
SQLi
RCE
SSRF
Time limit: Typically 72 hours to 1 week, depending on current format
4. Report Quality Evaluation
Synack values not just your ability to find bugs, but how well you document and communicate them
Reports are reviewed for:
Clarity
Technical depth
Reproducibility
Real-world applicability
5. Interview or Final Review (Optional)
Some candidates may go through a short interview call or email-based interaction to clarify findings or ensure professionalism
This is less common but may happen for borderline or high-potential candidates
6. Onboarding
If you pass:
You'll receive a contractor agreement and must sign NDA/confidentiality terms
Go through the training and onboarding modules
Set up the Synack Workstation VM, which includes:
VPN access
Custom tooling
Rules of engagement
Additional Notes
Once you're in, you can earn money via:
Bug submissions
Missions (short tasks like recon, static analysis, etc.)
Leaderboard bonuses and challenges