Gray hat hackers act without white hat hacker ethics and are illegal, but do not engage in criminal activities like black hat hackers. That is, a gray hat can find a loophole in your device's operating system without your knowledge.
Gray hat hacker definition
Somewhere between white and black are gray hat hackers. Gray hat hackers enact a blend of both black hat and white hat activities. Gray hat hackers often look for vulnerabilities in a system without the owner's permission or knowledge. If issues are found, they report them to the owner, sometimes requesting a small fee to fix the problem.
Some gray hat hackers like to believe they are doing something good for companies by hacking their websites and invading their networks without permission. Still, company owners rarely appreciate unauthorized forays into their business information infrastructure.
Often, a gray hat's real intention is to show off their skills and gain publicity — maybe even appreciation — for what they consider a contribution to cybersecurity.
How gray hat hackers work
When a gray hat hacker successfully gains illegal access to a system or network, they may suggest to the system administrator that they or one of their friends be hired to fix the problem for a fee. However, this practice has been declining due to the increasing willingness of businesses to prosecute.
Some companies use bug bounty programs to encourage gray hat hackers to report their findings. In these cases, organizations provide a bounty to avoid the broader risk of having the hacker exploit the vulnerability for their own gain. But this is not always the case, so getting the company’s permission is the only way to guarantee that a hacker will be within the law.
Sometimes, if organizations do not respond promptly or do not comply, gray hat hackers may become black hats by posting the point of exploitation on the internet or even exploiting the vulnerability themselves.
