Ethical hackers, also known as white hats, perform assessments on systems and networks so as to help organizations improve their security posture. An ethical hacker thinks and functions like a malicious hacker, he does it all with prior approval from the owner of the IT asset or the organization involved. Malicious hackers use the same kind of knowledge to gain access to a system or network intending to steal data, make money, tarnish reputations, destroy businesses, hijack infrastructure and sabotage their functioning.”]
Source: https://hackercombat.com/knowledge-base/a-comprehensive-guide-to-ethical-hacking/