Hacking & Donations #GOHACK25: CHF 5,262 donations for Kindernothilfe Switzerland

Cybersecurity meets social impact

From November 6 to 8, 2025, GOhack - Swiss conference for cybersecurity, ethical hacking and a diverse education programme - took place once again at the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS) in Zurich. Under the motto "Cybersecurity. Community. Collaboration.", security experts, developers, decision-makers and students came together again this year to take part in hands-on bug bounty challenges, exchange expertise and shape the future of digital security together. The highlight: the event also raises funds for charitable organizations. This year, CHF 5,262 was raised for the benefit of Kindernothilfe Switzerland.

During the Live Bug Bounty Challenge at GOhack, ethical hackers test real applications for two days and provide direct feedback to the participating companies. The aim is to find security vulnerabilities before anyone else does - in a practical, transparent way and in direct exchange with the community. RaiseNow was there again as a partner - and once again (as in 2023 & 2024) faced the scrutinizing eyes of the ethical hackers with the RaiseNow Hub and the Koalect platform. Over the course of two days, they specifically searched for vulnerabilities in the systems in order to further strengthen their security. The principle remains the same: every vulnerability discovered helps to make the platforms more robust - and benefits a good cause at the same time. Christina Kistler, Co-CEO of GObugfree, sums it up: ‘Hack for Good has become a central element of GOhack. Every year, we are delighted to see how the ethical hacking community uses its skills for cybersecurity while also making a positive contribution to society.’

CHF 5,262 for Kindernothilfe Switzerland

Impact beyond the screen: In 2025, the GOhack was once again all about "Hack for Good": for every vulnerability successfully identified in the RaiseNow and Koalect systems, an amount is donated to a charitable organization.

This year, the donation will go to Kindernothilfe Schweiz - an organization committed to long-term change:

• Emergency aid when children's lives are in danger.
• Self-help, so that families can overcome poverty.
• Life support through education, so that children have a future.

This year, the campaign received again support from the ethical hacker community: Simon Reinhart donated all his profits from the event to a good cause. RaiseNow, Koalect and GObugfree also doubled the amount of the hack-for-good bounty, so that in the end CHF 5,262 was raised for Kindernothilfe Switzerland. Simon Reinhart commented: "I would like to donate all my GOhack25 bounties from all programs. I think this fundraising campaign is great and would like to support it."

A strong sign of how technology, responsibility and community can work! You can read more about the inspiring work of Changemaker:innen in our Success Stories!

More than code: Security starts with cooperation

Andrea Bačić-Schäfer, our Chief Technology Officer(since mid-2025) , represented RaiseNow at GOhack for the first time this year. In her keynote speech, she emphasized how important security is in everyday development - not just as a technical issue, but as a shared sense of responsibility.

The figures speak for themselves and highlight the importance of the event:

• 50% more security vulnerabilities were reported across all programs this year than in 2024.
• A total of 25 researchers submitted their findings - impressive proof of the growing commitment and success of the format.
• The top hacker at RaiseNow and Koalect was once again veshraj, who already impressed last year with precise and valuable analyses.

Community, learning & responsibility

GOhack 2025 once again united the three pillars that make the event so special:

• Practical challenges: At the Live Bug Bounty Challenge, ethical hackers tested real systems - directly in exchange with the participating companies.
• Technical depth: In the tech and Business tracks, experts offered exciting insights into topics relating to IT, OT and IoT security.
• Networking : Valuable new contacts were made at the symposium, in workshops and during networking - across industry boundaries.

GOhack 2025 shows how technical excellence and social responsibility go hand in hand. Together with GObugfree and the ethical hacker community, RaiseNow was not only able to further strengthen its systems, but also do something good. A big thank you to everyone who took part, tested and contributed - and to Kindernothilfe Switzerland for their tireless work on behalf of children worldwide.