gray hat
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gray hat


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DEFINITION - Gray hat describes a cracker (or, if you prefer, hacker) who exploits a security weakness in a computer system or product in order to bring the weakness to the attention of the owners. Unlike a black hat, a gray hat acts without malicious intent. The goal of a gray hat is to improve system and network security. However, by publicizing a vulnerability, the gray hat may give other crackers the opportunity to exploit it. This differs from the white hat who alerts system owners and vendors of a vulnerability without actually exploiting it in public.

Learn more about Security Testing and Ethical Hacking
How security audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests differ: A lot of people use the words security audit, vulnerability assessment and penetration test interchangeably. Can you explain the differences between them so I'll know which term to use at the right ...
Ethical hacking techniques for standard penetration testing: I recently did a penetration test for one of our company's partners, only to find out that management had not obtained written permission from the partner for the test to be performed. The partner ...
Information security book excerpts and reviews: Visit the Information Security Bookshelf for book reviews and free chapter downloads.
Screencast: Google hacking, infosec style: In this exclusive screencast step-by-step demo, Tom Bowers explains how to ensure an organization's intellectual property doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
Quiz: What's your infosec IQ?: Test your information security IQ with this short quiz.
The Controversy of Hacking Books and Classes: Read this excerpt and download Chapter 1, Ethics of Ethical Hacking from Shon Harris' Gray Hat Hacking.
Crash course: Vulnerability management: Is vulnerability management a measurable and proactive process in your organization? Attend our on-demand webcast, and learn new tactics for managing the vulnerability lifecycle.

LAST UPDATED: 05 Jun 2007

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More resources from around the web:
- "Which hat is DilDog wearing?" from the SANS Institute provides more details.
- IT Security describes different kinds of hackers and their intrusions.





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