Imagine the scenario where you leave your home and notice your neighbour’s door wide open. Concerned for their safety, you tell them about the open door. But, instead of expressing gratitude, the neighbour closes the door and reports you to the police. You are then arrested, strip-searched and face the risk of prosecution.

This situation would be analogous to the recent arrests of the four university students who reported a security vulnerability in the popular FreeHour app. The flaw they discovered could have led to the leak of users’ private data, including e-mail addresses, location data and control of their Google calendars.

The students responsibly reported the vulnerability to FreeHour, even giving the company a three-month window to fix the issue before disclosing it publicly. It is obvious their actions were not driven by malicious intent but by a desire to help, as the company has belatedly acknowledged in a statement saying it now wants to assist the students. If the students had sinister motives, they would not have sent the company an email, which can be easily recognised and traced.

Instead of being rewarded for their vigilance, however, the students were arrested, strip-searched and had their computer equipment confiscated by the police. Their ordeal could inflict permanent emotional harm on them and may impede their academic advancement because their work is stored in those machines.

This harsh response sends a troubling message to students and ethical hackers alike, discouraging them from speaking out against security risks and potentially allowing vulnerabilities to go unaddressed. Such a situation could open Pandora’s box, as other companies may harbour similar vulnerabilities and ethical hackers may no longer report such vulnerabilities.

By creating a hostile environment for ethical hackers who seek to improve cybersecurity, we risk leaving numerous security flaws undiscovered and unaddressed. This not only jeopardises users’ privacy but also threatens the overall security of the digital landscape.

It is vital to promote a culture of responsible disclosure and collaboration instead of penalising those who take action in the interest of public safety.

Ironically, during the same week, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said it would reward ethical hackers up to $20,000 for discovering vulnerabilities.

This approach is adopted widely in other countries for a simple reason: a data breach could have a significant impact on users, make the company liable to severe fines running into millions and destroy its reputation. It is more cost-effective to implement such a system rather than risk a catastrophe.

Data privacy and cybersecurity are of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Encouraging responsible reporting of security flaws is essential to maintaining robust defences against malicious hacking attempts. We must ensure that our legal framework supports ethical hacking and does not punish those who act in the interest of public safety.

It is time to re-evaluate and modernise our laws and law enforcement practices to better address the complexities of the digital age. We must promote a responsible disclosure culture rather than criminalising well-intentioned individuals who help uncover security weaknesses. To create a safer digital environment, we must encourage collaboration between ethical hackers, companies and authorities in addressing security vulnerabilities.

While it is hoped that this unfortunate episode is brought to an end, it is vital to support the students in question as they navigate the legal process. Furthermore, authorities must ensure that companies are held accountable if they fail to protect user data.

Most importantly, we must learn from this incident, make the necessary changes to safeguard ethical hackers and foster a more secure digital landscape. Let us not waste this opportunity.