using a computer, inviting a distributed plurality of researcher computers to participate in one or more computer vulnerability research projects directed to identifying computer vulnerabilities of one or more networks and/or computers that are owned or operated by a third party;

using the computer, assigning a particular computer vulnerability research project, relating to a particular network under test, to a particular researcher computer from among a subset of the researcher computers;

using control logic that is logically interposed between the particular researcher computer and the particular network under test, monitoring networked data communications between the particular researcher computer and the particular network under test, wherein the communications relate to attempting to identify a candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test;

validating a report of the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher computer;

wherein the validating comprises attempting duplication of the candidate security vulnerability after receiving the report;

performing one or more remediation operations on the particular network under test based at least in part upon the report;

wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.

determining a vulnerability score for the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher computer, wherein the vulnerability score indicates a relative importance of the candidate security vulnerability;

based upon the vulnerability score, determining and providing the award.

determining a vulnerability score for the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher computer, wherein the vulnerability score indicates a relative importance of the candidate security vulnerability;

mapping the vulnerability score to a particular award that is within a range of a minimum award value and a maximum award value that are stored in a record identifying the candidate security vulnerability in a database;

based upon the mapping, determining and providing the particular award.

determining and providing a plurality of awards of different amounts of points to the particular researcher computer in response to validating a plurality of different reports of different candidate security vulnerabilities that are received from the same particular researcher computer at different times within a period;

determining and providing an additional award to the same particular researcher when a sum of the different amounts of points awarded within the period is greater than a specified threshold.

assigning two different particular computer vulnerability research projects, relating to two different particular networks under test, to two different geographically distant particular researcher computers from among the subset of the researcher computers;

using a computer that is logically interposed between the two different particular researcher computers and the particular network under test, monitoring communications between the two different particular researcher computers and the two different particular networks under test, wherein the communications relate to attempting to identify two different candidate security vulnerabilities of the two different particular networks under test;

validating two different reports of the two different candidate security vulnerability of the two different particular networks under test that are received respectively from the two different particular researcher computers;

determining and providing two different awards to the two different particular researcher computers in response to successfully validating the reports.

validating the particular security vulnerability by re-performing, on a target computer of the particular network under test, one or more operations that are identified in the report;

providing a validated report of the security vulnerability to an administrator computer that is associated with the particular network under test.

assigning one particular computer vulnerability research project, relating to a particular network under test, to two different particular researcher computers from among the subset of the researcher computers;

using the control logic, monitoring communications between the two different particular researcher computers and the particular network under test, wherein the communications relate to attempting to identify a candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test;

receiving two different reports of the same candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test from the two different particular researcher computers respectively;

validating a first report of the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from a first particular researcher computer;

determining that a second report, received from a second particular researcher computer, of the candidate security vulnerability is a duplicate report;

determining and providing the award only to the first particular researcher computer in response to successfully validating the first report.

a first computer that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of networks under test, an automated scanning system and a vulnerability database, and that is logically interposed in a network topology between the plurality of networks under test and a distributed plurality of researcher computers;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in the first computer storing one or more sequences of instructions which when executed cause performing:

using the first computer, inviting the distributed plurality of researcher computers to participate in one or more computer vulnerability research projects directed to identifying computer vulnerabilities of one or more networks and/or computers that are owned or operated by a third party;

assigning a particular computer vulnerability research project, relating to a particular network under test, to a particular researcher computer from among a subset of the researcher computers;

using a second computer, monitoring networked data communications between the particular researcher computer and the particular network under test, wherein the communications relate to attempting to identify a candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test;

validating a report of the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher computer;

wherein the validating comprises attempting duplication of the candidate security vulnerability after receiving the report;

performing one or more remediation operations on the particular network under test based at least in part upon the report.

determining a vulnerability score for the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher computer, wherein the vulnerability score indicates a relative importance of the candidate security vulnerability;

based upon the vulnerability score, determining and providing the award.

determining a vulnerability score for the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher computer, wherein the vulnerability score indicates a relative importance of the candidate security vulnerability;

mapping the vulnerability score to a particular award that is within a range of a minimum award value and a maximum award value that are stored in a record identifying the candidate security vulnerability in a database;

based upon the mapping, determining and providing the particular award.

determining and providing a plurality of awards of different amounts of points to the particular researcher computer in response to validating a plurality of different reports of different candidate security vulnerabilities that are received from the same particular researcher computer at different times within a period;

determining and providing an additional award to the same particular researcher when a sum of the different amounts of points awarded within the period is greater than a specified threshold.

assigning two different particular computer vulnerability research projects, relating to two different particular networks under test, to two different geographically distant particular researcher computers from among the subset of the researcher computers;

using a computer that is logically interposed between the two different particular researcher computers and the particular network under test, monitoring communications between the two different particular researcher computers and the two different particular networks under test, wherein the communications relate to attempting to identify two different candidate security vulnerabilities of the two different particular networks under test;

validating two different reports of the two different candidate security vulnerability of the two different particular networks under test that are received respectively from the two different particular researcher computers;

determining and providing two different awards to the two different particular researcher computers in response to successfully validating the reports.

validating the particular security vulnerability by re-performing, on a target computer of the particular network under test, one or more operations that are identified in the report;

providing a validated report of the security vulnerability to an administrator computer that is associated with the particular network under test.

assigning one particular computer vulnerability research project, relating to a particular network under test, to two different particular researcher computers from among the subset of the researcher computers;

using the control logic, monitoring communications between the two different particular researcher computers and the particular network under test, wherein the communications relate to attempting to identify a candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test;

receiving two different reports of the same candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test from the two different particular researcher computers respectively;

validating a first report of the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from a first particular researcher computer;

determining that a second report, received from a second particular researcher computer, of the candidate security vulnerability is a duplicate report;

determining and providing the award only to the first particular researcher computer in response to successfully validating the first report.