At what point do white hat hackers cross the ethical line?

In internet slang, the term "white hat" stands for an ethical hacking or computer security expert who specializes in testing methodologies to keep the organization's information systems secure. White hat hackers are generally regarded as hackers who use their skills to benefit the society. While some believe it all depends on the intentions of a hacker. The hacker is considered to be ethical only when he penetrates a system with no malicious agenda and discloses the identified vulnerabilities.

But at what point the line of ethics should be drawn? The term white hat turns out differently to different people. Apparently, there are professionals in the cyber security profession who learn hacking and dedicate their entire career on being strictly white hat. These security professionals must have strong morals and should never penetrate any system without prior approval. They must follow stringent rules to guard both their reputation and prospect earnings.  

However, the definition drifts in case of unprofessional practitioners who attain hacking training from various sources. For example, many hackers who consider themselves to be white hats would find it easy to check if their bank has an open IPMI port, as long as their intention was to inform the bank. For them it’s ethically no different from monitoring if the door is locked at night at their local bank. In spite of everything, their motives are pure.

This is where the main concern crops up. Pure motives do not mean the actions are ethical. No matter how righteous their intentions are, white hat hackers can still, quite simply, cause unplanned harm. According to the U.S. Code, Title 18, §1030, it is a crime to penetrate any security system with prior approval from the authorities.

Related : Career Scope in ethical hacking