Understanding the Jargon

Black hat/White hat

Hackers can be categorized by the type of metaphorical “hat” they wear.
When you think of a hacker, you might picture someone eager to load your laptop with malware or maybe a shadowy figure locking up the computers of your town’s government offices and then demanding a ransom to unfreeze them.

Or maybe you imagine cybercriminals who steal the bank account, credit card, and Social Security numbers of thousands of victims, selling this information on the dark web. 

If you do, you’re picturing what are known as black hat hackers. These are the cybercriminals who generate headlines with ransomware attacks, steal information from companies and governments, and create data breaches that expose the credit card information of consumers.

But not all hackers wear a “black hat.” 

Some — known as gray hat hackers or white hat hackers — aren’t seeking to hurt others with their hacking skills. Instead, they might work with companies and governments to find security flaws in their computer networks. Or, if they do access vulnerabilities in these computer systems, they might report them to their owners, and then expect to be paid for their efforts.

White hat hackers are also skilled at breaking into networks and exposing vulnerabilities in the computer systems of major retailers, government agencies,  healthcare providers, and corporations. But these hackers use their powers for good  rather than evil. Also known as “ethical hackers,” white hat hackers can be paid  employees or contractors working for companies as security specialists that attempt to find security holes via hacking. 
(norton)