A security research and training group is offering up to $20,000 in grants to anyone with computer programming chops who can help locate and close hidden “back doors” in commercial hardware and software. According to the Bethesda, Md.-based SANS Institute — the group offering the grants, hundreds of millions of devices — from printers to Internet routers and storage systems — are being placed on networks with built-in back doors. Software and hardware makers have for years quietly built these remote administration tools into their products, mainly to help customers troubleshoot the devices. In some cases, the back doors are documented by the vendor or known to technicians and security experts. But Alan Paller, director of research at SANS, said in far too many cases these back doors are never disclosed or are included and forgotten, only to be discovered later and exploited by hackers. “The manufacturers of these systems