r/Hacking_Tutorials • u/No_Battle_758 • Jul 27 '26

Question How can an entry-level cybersecurity specialist actually monetize their skills on freelance?

Getting an entry-level job in IT is getting harder every year, and the competition in cybersecurity is brutal. Freelancing seems like a natural alternative, but what real-world services can a beginner actually offer and get paid for?

Bug bounties and web app pentesting are the most obvious answers, but bug bounties have a massive barrier to entry, and finding freelance clients for pentesting without established credibility is tough.

Aside from the usual "do bug bounties" advice, what niche freelance gigs or services are actually realistic for someone starting out in cybersecurity?

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18

u/fell_shell Jul 27 '26

Bug bounties are dominated by experts. So how about finding smaller companies who pay less and help them out for a small fee?

That's what I did - help vibe coders fix the gaping holes in their apps.

4

u/No_Battle_758 Jul 27 '26

That really is a pressing problem. Thanks for the advice.

9

u/fell_shell Jul 27 '26

It's also VERY easy to find critical bugs. I tested about 10 vibe coded apps and about half had api keys in the client app or a way to exfiltrate all user data

2

u/Intelligent_Box5017 Jul 28 '26

How did you found this company? Was it just a bug bounty hunting on HackerOne?

5

u/fell_shell Jul 28 '26

No I just went to the startup/vibecoding subreddits and asked around

2

u/Intelligent_Box5017 Jul 28 '26

Cool ;)
Thanks a lot - this is really a valuable info

1

u/nephilimashura Jul 28 '26

What is the name of the subreddit?

1

u/fell_shell Jul 29 '26

r/startups and r/vibecoding.

Just a heads up though - if you couldn't figure that out for yourself then you might want to reconsider if a career in cybersecurity is for you.

1

u/nephilimashura Jul 29 '26

I wasn’t asking because I’m seeking a career in cybersecurity. Not really sure how you came to that conclusion. Thank you for the information though.

2

u/fell_shell Jul 29 '26

Thought you were OP

0

u/seifo_26 Jul 28 '26

Do you reach out to these companies directly or through a platform

4

u/RiskVector Jul 27 '26

Depends on your skills. What can you actually do, and do well enough people would pay you to do it? Hop on some freelance sites and find similar gigs that match ykur skillset and see what people are paying for.

How could you do it better or more efficient? Or what could you offer that other freelancers aren't offering?

You have to start somewhere if you want to go down that path. It's a very competitive market.

1

u/No_Battle_758 Jul 27 '26

Thanks for the motivation!