White hat hackers can also be called ethical hackers or white hats. Have you heard the concept of ethical hacking? Does it seem like an oxymoron to you? Don't know what to imagine under it? In this post, we will simply explain what ethical hacking is, how it differs from unethical hacking, and how it benefits businesses.
First, let's talk about hacking. This is unauthorized access to computers, networks, e-mail, or other devices to obtain or change data that you do not have access to. Despite being an illegal activity, there are hundreds of thousands of hackers in the world who can and carry out millions of attacks on devices and networks around the world. Therefore, some ethical hackers use exactly the same methods and tools as classic ones and, with the permission of the system owner, try to detect security flaws that could be exploited to infiltrate his system. Ethical hackers work with the permission of the system owner, and therefore their activity is completely legal.
What about colours? White Hat vs Gray Hat vs Black Hat
We distinguish three types of hackers. Classically, the colors are used - white, grey and black. Black hackers are people who attack computer systems for data theft or other illegal activities. Their motivation is mostly financial profit. On the other hand, white hackers are trying to find security flaws and propose appropriate measures. Gray hackers perform their activities mostly for fun or personal glory. Although they do not steal data and have no other bad intentions, they perform their activities without the consent of the system owner, and therefore also illegally.
How can an ethical hacker help secure a company's IT environment?
Ethical hacking is a very fast-growing field. Companies are becoming increasingly aware of their vulnerability to attacks and are increasingly using ethical hacking. The output of such ethical hacking is the detection of potential threats, the analysis and evaluation of risks and the proposal of measures to minimize the impact of these threats. Although today's technologies are at a high level, there are still systems and societies in which we detect a large number of potentially exploitable vulnerabilities. Think of the number of cyber attacks, especially the hospital facilities that practically paralyzed their daily operation last year.
Times are changing and it is indeed very important to regularly test the vulnerabilities of companies' systems and to emphasize the maintenance and effectiveness of security measures. Be careful and don't forget to back up your data as well.