Hackers are often sorted by the colour of their “hat” — an old way of describing whether they act with good or bad intent.
What is it?
Select any component in the diagram to read what it does.
Text description of this diagram
Hackers are grouped by their intent and whether they have permission: white hat, grey hat and black hat.
White hat — the ethical hacker
Works with permission to find and fix weaknesses. They help organisations stay safe and follow the law. This is a legitimate career.
Black hat — the criminal
Attacks without permission for personal gain, revenge, or disruption. Their actions are illegal and cause real harm.
Grey hat — somewhere in between
Breaks into systems without permission but usually without harmful intent — perhaps to expose a flaw. Even with good intentions, acting without permission is still illegal.
Why is it important?
The single line that separates a white hat from the others is permission. The same action can be a paid job or a crime depending on whether you were authorised to do it. This course only ever teaches the white-hat, defensive side.
Never test, scan, or break into a system you do not own or have written permission to assess. Good intentions do not make it legal.
A real-world example
A company runs a “bug bounty” programme, inviting white-hat hackers to find flaws in return for a reward. One researcher finds a serious bug, reports it through the programme, and is paid thousands. The exact same break-in, done without that invitation, would be a crime.
Check what you learned
What single factor most separates a white hat from a black hat?
Permission — a white hat is authorised to test the system; a black hat is not.
Is a grey-hat break-in legal if the intent is good?
No. Acting without permission is illegal even when the intention is to help.
Key takeaways
- White hats act with permission and within the law.
- Black hats attack illegally for their own gain.
- Grey hats mean well but still act without permission — which is illegal.