Security research is a unique blend of art and science. Uncovering vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs requires curiosity, technical acumen, and persistence. However, one skill often overlooked—but equally essential—is the ability to remain professionally detached from the vulnerabilities you discover.

This article explores why emotional detachment is crucial for security researchers, how to develop this mindset, and practical tips for managing vendor responses—even when they’re dismissive, ungrateful, or outright hostile.

If reporting vulns is all new to you, you might want to read my Guide to Reporting Vulnerabilities to Vendors first.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Vulnerability Reporting

Finding a critical vulnerability often feels like striking gold. Your hard work has paid off, and you can’t wait to share your findings with the vendor. But what happens when the vendor doesn’t respond with the enthusiasm or urgency you expect?

Here are a few common scenarios:

• Dismissive Responses: “This isn’t a vulnerability.”
• Delayed Actions: Weeks or months pass without acknowledgment or remediation.
• Defensive Postures: “Our system is secure; this doesn’t apply to us.”
• Lack of Gratitude: No acknowledgment, no credit, and sometimes no communication at all.

These reactions can be frustrating, especially when you’ve invested hours, days, or even weeks into your security research. It’s easy to feel disrespected or undervalued, leading to anger, disappointment, or even public outbursts.

However, these emotions, while natural, can undermine your credibility and effectiveness as a researcher. Remaining professionally detached ensures that you handle these situations with grace and focus on what truly matters—improving security.

Why Professional Detachment Matters

1. Preserving Your Credibility

Emotional responses can cloud your judgment and lead to unprofessional behavior, such as escalating prematurely or venting frustrations publicly. Maintaining a detached, factual approach not only upholds your reputation but also makes vendors more likely to engage with you seriously.

2. Improving Vendor Relations

Vendors may not always appreciate your findings immediately, but a professional tone can help foster trust over time. Even if the initial response is dismissive, staying objective leaves the door open for future collaboration.

3. Focusing on the Bigger Picture

Security research is about making the digital world safer, not personal validation. Detachment helps you keep your eye on the broader goal, ensuring that your actions align with your mission to improve security.

4. Protecting Your Mental Health

Repeatedly encountering negative responses can take a toll. By adopting a detached mindset, you shield yourself from unnecessary stress and maintain your passion for research without burnout.

Developing a Professionally Detached Mindset

Embrace Objectivity

When reporting vulnerabilities, present your findings as objectively as possible. Focus on facts:

• Describe the vulnerability clearly.
• Provide reproducible steps to exploit it.
• Include evidence, such as logs, screenshots, or videos.
• Highlight the potential impact in measurable terms.

By sticking to the facts, you minimize room for debate and make it easier for vendors to understand the issue.

Set Realistic Expectations

Not all vendors will prioritize your report, and some may not act on it at all. Understand that:

• Vendors have competing priorities and limited resources.
• They may not view the vulnerability with the same urgency as you.
• Business considerations (like customer impact or cost) often influence decisions.

Adjusting your expectations helps you avoid unnecessary disappointment.

Practice Emotional Regulation

Recognize when emotions are influencing your reactions. Techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness, or even stepping away from the issue for a while can help you regain perspective.

Separate Yourself From the Work

Remember, a vendor’s response to your findings is not a judgment of your worth as a researcher. By separating your identity from the vulnerabilities you find, you can avoid taking criticism or rejection personally.

Practical Tips for Managing Vendor Responses

Craft Clear and Concise Reports

A well-structured report reduces the likelihood of miscommunication or misunderstanding. Include:

• A summary of the vulnerability.
• Technical details and reproduction steps. Provide PoC exploits when possible that can demonstrate the vulnerability without causing damage.
• Evidence of the issue.
• Suggested fixes or mitigations.

Be Patient

Follow up politely if you don’t receive a response within a reasonable timeframe. Avoid overwhelming the vendor with multiple messages; persistence doesn’t mean pestering.

Stay Polite in the Face of Resistance

If a vendor dismisses your report, resist the urge to argue. Instead, provide additional evidence or clarify points they may have misunderstood. If they still don’t act, document your efforts and move on.

Know When to Escalate

If a vulnerability poses a severe risk and the vendor remains unresponsive, consider escalating responsibly. This may involve:

• Disclosing to a third-party coordinator, like CERT or a bug bounty platform.
• Public disclosure, but only as a last resort and in compliance with responsible and/or coordinated disclosure guidelines.

Focus on Collaboration

Frame your communication as a partnership rather than an adversarial exchange. Use language like “we” instead of “you” to foster a collaborative tone.

Learning From Difficult Experiences

Every researcher encounters difficult vendors at some point. Instead of dwelling on these experiences, use them as learning opportunities:

• Refine Your Reporting Skills: Could you have presented your findings more clearly?
• Adjust Your Approach: Did you set the right tone in your communication?
• Broaden Your Perspective: Consider the vendor’s constraints and priorities.
• Adjust Your Selection Criteria: Can you improve how you pick future targets?  

By reflecting on these questions, you can improve your future interactions and grow as a researcher.

A Case Study: Detachment in Action

Imagine you’ve discovered a vulnerability in an API that allows unauthorized access to sensitive data. Excitedly, you submit your report to the vendor, expecting praise and immediate action. Instead, you receive this reply:

“This is not a valid security issue. Closing as ‘Won’t Fix.’”

Instead of reacting emotionally, you:

1. Review Your Report: Double-check that your findings are clear and reproducible.
2. Provide Additional Evidence: Respond with logs and examples demonstrating the issue.
3. Stay Professional: Use a polite, factual tone:
   “Thank you for your response. I’d like to provide additional context to clarify the potential impact of this issue.”
4. Move On if Necessary: If the vendor still doesn’t act, you document the interaction and explore escalation options.

This detached approach preserves your credibility and avoids unnecessary conflict, even if the vendor ultimately doesn’t act. Remember, security research should be fun… it needs no drama.

The Long-Term Benefits of Detachment

Over time, cultivating professional detachment will benefit your career in numerous ways:

• Reputation: Researchers known for their professionalism are more likely to be trusted and respected.
• Opportunities: Vendors and organizations are more likely to seek your expertise.
• Resilience: Detachment helps you weather the ups and downs of vulnerability research without losing passion.

Remember, your work as a security researcher is part of a larger mission to make technology safer. By staying professionally detached, you can focus on that mission without being derailed by emotional responses or difficult interactions.

Conclusion

Security research is challenging and rewarding, but it’s also filled with potential pitfalls—especially when it comes to vendor responses to vulnerabilities. By staying professionally detached, you can navigate these challenges with grace, preserve your credibility, and continue contributing to a safer digital world.

The next time you find yourself frustrated by a vendor’s reaction, take a step back, breathe, and remember: it’s not personal. Your value as a researcher isn’t defined by their response but by the positive impact your work has on security as a whole.

One last thing…

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The post Why you should stay “professionally detached” from the vulns you find appeared first on Dana Epp's Blog.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Dana Epp's Blog authored by Dana Epp. Read the original post at: https://danaepp.com/staying-professionally-detached-from-your-security-research