Ethical hacking, also known as "white hat" hacking, is the practice of finding vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks with the explicit permission of the owner. The goal is to identify and fix security flaws before malicious attackers, or "black hat" hackers, can exploit them. Unlike malicious hacking, which is unauthorized and often for personal gain, ethical hacking is a legal and proactive approach to improving an organization's security.

Types of Ethical Hacking

Ethical hacking is a broad field with several specialized areas. Some common types include:

• Penetration Testing (Pen Testing): This is a simulated attack on a system to find and exploit vulnerabilities. It's often used to test a company's defenses against a real-world attack.

• Web Application Hacking: This focuses on identifying security flaws in web-based applications, such as vulnerabilities in authentication, cross-site scripting (XSS), or SQL injection.

• Wireless Network Hacking: This involves testing the security of a wireless network infrastructure to find weak points that could allow unauthorized access.

• Social Engineering: This type of hacking tests the human element of security by attempting to manipulate individuals into revealing confidential information. It often involves tactics like phishing emails or impersonation.