The Role of "White Hat" Hackers in Information Security

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Recommended: Advantages and disadvantages of black hat hackers

I. Introduction

"Hacking" is defined as making a modification to something to improve it or to make it do something it was not originally intended to do. A hacker is someone who will seek out security flaws or holes in a computer or telephone system. Media coverage has given the term "hacker" a negative connotation. However, the original usage was complimentary, indicating someone with a high level of technical sophistication, or someone who enjoyed the intellectual challenge of overcoming or circumventing limitations.

"White hat" hackers are individuals who endeavor to identify security weaknesses, and point these weaknesses out to the companies whose systems they have penetrated. This allows the company to patch the holes identified, before "black hat" hackers can find and exploit the same flaws with malicious intent.

There are two types of "white hat" hackers. One group includes individuals who are hired by a company to test their security systems. The other group pursues hacking as an avocation – they are uninvited guests who penetrate security systems for the enjoyment of being able to do it. These uninvited "white hat" hackers will, by definition, leave a message for the system administrator to advise them of the flaws discovered during their visit.

II. Free Spirits

The unpaid "white hat" hackers have a very romantic vision of their role in cyberspace. Hackurity is a web page devoted to "white hat" hacking. Their home page states that, "Hacking is about pushing the envelope, using technology to its full potential, understanding technology rather than simply relying on it. These days, it’s easier than ever to use a computer without being computer literate. Just point and click. Hacking is about going beyond that, about doing things that are not supposed to be possible, about finding new things and exploring. The land is settled from one coast to the next.

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