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Can “hacking” actually be a good thing? The answer is yes—just as a military can prepare the best defenses when it knows the enemy’s plan of attack, when a company attempts to hack its own network, it puts them one step ahead of the “bad guys.” This type of legitimate, lawful hacking is called ethical hacking, and it uses the exact same techniques and technologies that black hat hackers use to help companies improve security where they need it most.Cyber security threats are most businesses’ primary concerns these days, with cyber attack-related costs estimated to be $2 trillion worldwide in the coming year. It’s a problem that’s not going anywhere, but smart defenses can evolve along with smart criminals. Getting inside the head of hackers is proving to be one of the most valuable angles in approaching cyber security—and ethical hacking is the best way to put that into action.While ethical hacking (or “white hat” hacking) might sound like an oxymoron, it’s a smart, proactive method that can help prevent malicious hacking—attempts by outsiders to break into networks, steal private information, or hold systems for ransom. By running through every possible scenario and thinking like a black hat hacker, ethical hackers are able to find weak points in a network and educate users about security best practices before they are exploited. Their jobs are rarely “one and done”—as black hat hackers constantly improve and evolve their methods to break into networks, ethical hackers have to remain one step ahead as well.We spoke with well-known hardware hacker Andrew “bunnie” Huang of Chibitronics to get some insights—here’s an intro to what you should know about ethical hacking and putting it into action.