Let's start with the most important question: What exactly is ethical hacking? The answer is simpler than you might think. It's hacking with permission. The techniques are often identical to what malicious hackers use—the difference is entirely about authorization and intent.
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An ethical hacker is a person who is hired and permitted by an organization to attack its systems for the purpose of identifying vulnerabilities, which an attacker might take advantage of.
🔑 The Critical Difference: The sole difference between the terms "hacking" and "ethical hacking" is the PERMISSION.
✅ WITHOUT PERMISSION = CRIME | WITH PERMISSION = ETHICAL HACKING
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Malicious Hacking
No permission, criminal intent
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Ethical Hacking
Written permission, protective intent