Ethical Hacking News
In a rare exception, Australia has awarded British cybersecurity researcher Jacob Riggs an invite-only visa after he discovered a critical vulnerability in the country's government systems. The decision to grant Riggs the visa marks a significant success for the notoriously challenging program, which is reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional achievements in their respective fields. With his discovery of the critical vulnerability, Riggs has cemented his place as one of the most skilled and accomplished cybersecurity researchers in the industry.
Australian researcher Jacob Riggs has been awarded an invite-only visa under the Subclass 858 National Innovation visa program after discovering a critical vulnerability in government systems.Riggs's persistence paid off despite facing rejection after rejection from the visa application process.He was added as one of just four individuals who have successfully reported a bug under a responsible vulnerability disclosure framework.The Australian government responded to his application on October 20, and his National Innovation visa was finally granted on December 2.
Australia has awarded a British cybersecurity researcher, Jacob Riggs, an invite-only visa under its Subclass 858 National Innovation visa program after he discovered a critical vulnerability in the country's government systems. The decision to grant Riggs the visa is seen as a rare success for the notoriously challenging and competitive program, which is reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional achievements in their respective fields.
Riggs, a 36-year-old Londoner, has been an aspiring Australian resident for most of his adult life. Despite facing rejection after rejection from the visa application process, Riggs remained determined to secure a spot in the country. His persistence paid off when he received an invitation to apply for the Subclass 858 National Innovation visa program, which is reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to their field or have demonstrated exceptional potential to grow the Australian economy.
Riggs's journey to securing the visa began with his discovery of a critical vulnerability in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) systems. He identified the vulnerability using his expertise in cybersecurity research and promptly reported it to DFAT under their responsible vulnerability disclosure framework. The vulnerability was promptly fixed, resulting in Riggs being added as one of just four individuals who have successfully reported a bug under the scheme.
The timeline of Riggs's application process is nothing short of remarkable. He submitted an expression of interest for the Subclass 858 National Innovation visa program in April, and after months of waiting, he received an invitation to apply in May. It was not until July that Riggs discovered the critical vulnerability in DFAT's systems, which had no direct role in his initial success but may have contributed to his chances of securing the visa.
The Australian government responded to Riggs's application on October 20, with an S56 request for more information, and his National Innovation visa was finally granted on December 2. This decision marks a rare exception to the program's notoriously low success rate, which stands at around 6.6 percent according to recent quarterly data published by the Australian government.
Riggs will now be able to apply for permanent residency in Australia and plans to relocate to Sydney within the next 12 months. His discovery of the critical vulnerability in DFAT's systems is seen as a testament to his exceptional skills and expertise in cybersecurity research. The awarding of Riggs the invite-only visa under the Subclass 858 National Innovation visa program serves as a reminder that even the most challenging and competitive programs can reward those who demonstrate exceptional achievements.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Australian-Government-Awards-British-Cybersecurity-Researcher-for-Discovery-of-Critical-Vulnerability-in-Government-Systems-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/02/brit_security_australia_visa/
Published: Fri Jan 2 10:35:37 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
