What is "white hat"

n. 1 (context idiomatic English) A good person, hero 2 (context computing slang English) A well-meaning hacker who hacks for a good cause or to aid a company, organization, or government without causing harm.

The term "white hat" in Internet slang refers to an ethical computer hacker, or a computer security expert, who specializes in penetration testing and in other testing methodologies to ensure the security of an organization's information systems. Ethical hacking is a term coined by IBM meant to imply a broader category than just penetration testing. Contrasted with black hat, a malicious hacker, the name comes from Western films, where heroic and antagonistic cowboys might traditionally wear a white and a black hat respectively.

White-hat hackers may also work in teams called " sneakers", red teams, or tiger teams.

White hat may refer to:

• White hat (computer security), a computer hacker intending to improve security
• White hat, a way of thinking in Edward de Bono's book Six Thinking Hats
• White hat bias, the tendency to accept desired findings with less evidence than is required to prove other outcomes
• White hat, a U.S. Navy version of a sailor cap
• White hat, part of black and white hat symbolism in film