black hat

The term "black hat" refers to a hacker who violates computer security for maliciousness or personal gain. It is used to distinguish unethical actors from "white hat" hackers, who identify vulnerabilities to help organizations fix them. The terminology originates from Western films of the 1920s to 1940s, where filmmakers utilized a visual shorthand: villains typically wore black cowboy hats, while heroes wore white ones. This cinematic trope was adopted by the computing subculture in the 1990s to classify hackers based on their intent.

While the term remains standard vocabulary for many cybersecurity professionals, it has become a subject of debate regarding inclusive language. Proponents view it as a harmless historical reference to cinema that provides a useful technical distinction. However, critics argue that the metaphorical dualism of "black is bad" and "white is good" reinforces unconscious racial bias and colorism, regardless of the cowboy origin. Consequently, some government bodies and tech companies have deprecated the term in favor of more precise, descriptive language.

Example:
"The organization hired a security firm to simulate how a black hat might attempt to breach their firewall."

Example:
"He began his career as a black hat selling stolen credit card numbers before pivoting to ethical security consulting."