> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://dualguard.gitbook.io/dualguard/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://dualguard.gitbook.io/dualguard/security-reviews/guards.md).

# Guards

A Guard is an independent security researcher who participates in security review contests on DualGuard. He does so by reviewing the code using tools and techniques that help him submit vulnerabilities he thinks are valid. Upon validation of his findings, the guard will receive a monetary reward. We encourage guards to specialize in certain types of projects and certain ecosystems. 

### For all Guards

1\. You can join our Discord server and sign up on DualGuard’s [Website](https://staging.dualguard.xyz/contests).

2\. You can submit issues found during the security review, in the contest page, by clicking on the *submit finding* button.

3\. Once you join a contest, you cannot opt out, that's to incentivise guards to stay true to their word and commit to the engagement without jumping to another contest if the codebase is too hard to understand or feels unbreakable.

4\. DualGuard will pay you any reward earned from the pool and update your ranking within 2 weeks of the contest ending.

5\. DualGuard will pay you any reward earned from the pool and update your ranking within 2 weeks of the contest ending.

6\. In case the protocol team had to fix their code after the contest, if you are in the top-8 and finish above one of the 2 Lead Guards, you will be selected to review the fixed code. Only after that mitigation review, your overachiever bonus is unlocked. The overachiever bonus is reserved for Guards who surpass a Lead Guard and finish in the top-8. For every Lead Guard they surpass, the Guard takes 1% of the total prize pool away from that Lead Guard.

You are eligible to be a Lead Guard for a contest if you make it into the top 5 of the corresponding leaderboard. Lead Guards receive a fixed pay (8% of the prize pool).

### For Lead Guards

1\. For now, DualGuard will post the details of an upcoming contest on the contest discord channel, with a google form to be filled by applicants who wish to lead the contest. On the long run, DualGuard will open a Private Thread on Discord to post the details of an upcoming contest and add to the private thread the 5 highest ranked guards on the corresponding leaderboard.

2\. You have 72 hours to indicate your interest in being selected as one of the 2 Lead Guards.

3\. The 2 selected Lead Guards will be notified after those 72 hours. If you aren’t selected as the lead, you can still compete in the contest.

4\. You can submit issues found during the security review, in the contest page, by clicking on the *submit finding* button.

5\. DualGuard will pay you any reward earned for your valid submissions and update your ranking within 2 weeks of the results announcement ending.

6\. As the Lead Guard, in case the protocol team had to fix their code after the contest, you’ll review the fixed code during the [mitigation review](/dualguard/security-reviews/security-reviews-for-protocol-teams/mitigation-review.md).

7\. At this point, 2 scenarios might occur:

* The protocol team decides not to launch a pre-launch bug bounty and the lead guard receives his   payout in full
* The protocol team decides to launch a pre-launch bug bounty and the lead guard receives 75% of his payout pay