The Pentagon is now inviting hackers to have at its public webpages as part of an initiative to highlight cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

The Department of Defense (DoD) says that the "Hack the Pentagon" pilot program is the first cyber bug bounty program in the history of the federal government. Just as web giants like Facebook and Yahoo hold competitions and offer cash rewards for those who expose security flaws, the DoD is also dangling a little cash carrot in front of enterprising hackers to find out just how robust its networks and digital services are.

But don't go dusting off your white hat just yet. Participants' suitability for the program will first be assessed by way of a background check, and will then take part in a controlled program on a predetermined department system. Not surprisingly this means that its other networks, such as those with sensitive mission-specific information, will be off limits.