{"id":6130,"date":"2011-11-02T13:40:56","date_gmt":"2011-11-02T13:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/white-hat-hacker\/"},"modified":"2024-08-01T16:20:01","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T16:20:01","slug":"white-hat-hacker","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/10349\/white-hat-hacker","title":{"rendered":"White Hat Hacker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who is a White Hat Hacker?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The definition of a white hat hacker<\/a> is a computer<\/a> security specialist who breaks into an organization’s protected systems and networks<\/a> legally to test their security. White hat hackers use their skills to improve security by exposing vulnerabilities<\/a> before malicious<\/a> hackers (known as black hat hackers<\/a>) can detect and exploit them.<\/p>\n

Although their methods are similar, if not identical, to those employed by malicious hackers, white hat hackers have permission to employ them against the organization that has hired them.<\/p>\n

What is the goal of a white hat hacker? Unlike malicious attackers, white hat hackers use their skills for good, identifying vulnerabilities in software and systems so that they can be patched to prevent breaches<\/a> and protect data<\/a>. For this reason, they are often known as “ethical hackers”. The term comes from old Western movies where the clich\u00e9 was for the “good guy” to wear a white cowboy hat while the “bad guys” wore black hats.<\/p>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n