OpenAI raises bug bounty rewards to $172,000 and plans security sprint

The update follows a previous internal effort where OpenAI dedicated 25% of its product engineers to security, mobilizing over 250 people across more than 100 service areas. That earlier sprint closed 53 urgent or high-priority issues on its first day and utilized Codex for remediation, achieving a 0.53% rolled-back fix rate. OpenAI emphasized that its "Defense Factory" approach requires verified deployment of fixes, not just ticket closure, to ensure actual security improvements.

Additionally, OpenAI is extending its Daybreak program, which provides subsidized access to its most capable models for authorized defensive work. A $1 billion commitment announced in September 2026 supports this effort, targeting resource-constrained U.S. defenders of essential services. Thousands of defenders across 2,000 approved organizations already use Daybreak, including cybersecurity firms and law enforcement agencies.