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UK Cybersecurity Researcher Wins Ultra-Selective Australian Visa After Finding DFAT Flaw

DFAT formally credited Jacob Riggs for a critical vulnerability disclosure, a rare outcome in a program with an approval rate below 1%.

Overview

  • He received the 858 National Innovation visa in December after a seven-month process and plans to relocate to Sydney within 12 months.
  • In July, working from his home in Bexley, London, he identified a DFAT live-system weakness of critical severity in about one hour and 50 minutes and reported it under the agency’s disclosure policy.
  • DFAT acknowledged the submission and added him to its Vulnerability Disclosure Program honour roll, with Riggs saying the department responded and remediated quickly.
  • Reporting cites VisaEnvoy data showing more than 9,000 expressions of interest since the program’s launch, with only 304 invitations and about 85 visas granted.
  • Security professionals say the case highlights gaps in government security testing and procurement after the flaw passed IRAP reviews and two outsourced penetration tests.