Authorized Hackers
Authorized hackers, also called white-hat hackers, are what many in the information security industry call ethical hackers. While most unauthorized hackers do not follow laws or permissions to target systems, authorized hackers will. They are expected to follow a code of ethics while also following established laws and access permissions when conducting their activities.
Authorized hackers are generally hired directly by companies or clients to test operating systems, hardware, software and network vulnerabilities. They will utilize their hacking knowledge, skills and expertise to help companies improve their security posture from attacks.
Authorized hackers break into systems to find vulnerabilities so that companies can patch their systems and mitigate potential cyber threats. They also conduct penetration tests as a part of their role. Penetration testing will expose the weaknesses in a network to test its security measures. It can also determine how vulnerable it is to attacks from malicious hackers.