White hat hackers work legally and ethically by obtaining explicit permission from companies to hack their systems. They aim to identify vulnerabilities and fully disclose their findings to help companies improve security. In contrast, grey hat hackers do not have permission but generally do not abuse exploits for personal gain, instead offering to disclose vulnerabilities for a fee. Black hat hackers deliberately exploit systems illegally and maliciously, hiding their activities and selling information to third parties without consent.

1. Work with the explicit permission of the
company they are hacking.
Work directly for a company, usually on a
contractual basis.
White hats are working legally and are acting
with good intentions.
White hats fully disclose all of the information
they find to the company they are working with.
WHITE HAT HACKER
HACKING VS.
ETHICAL HACKING
How are they different?
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Example: A white hat finding access into a firm's email
systems and confidential information stored in those
emails. The white hat reports this to the firm.
Grey hats don't have permission to hack a company
but will generally not abuse the exploits they find.
Grey hats will find exploits in a business and attempt
to sell that knowledge directly to the company they
hacked.
Grey hats are working illegally with good intentions.
Grey hats disclose exploits they feel like to companies,
generally with the offer to fix it for a nominal fee.
GREY HAT HACKER
Example: A grey hat finds out that they can type working
code into a text box on a company website. They offer to
fix it for money, but they refuse. The grey hat releases the
exploit information publicly.
Black hats deliberately hide that they are trying to
exploit a company.
Generally work alone, selling their work to third-
parties.
Black hats are working illegally with malicious
intent.
Black hats disclose the information they feel like to
a third-party they are working with.
BLACK HAT HACKER
Example: A black hat writes a computer virus that a
company employee accidentally installs on their computer.
The virus then give access to that computer to an
undisclosed third party.