Ethical hacking describes hacking performed by an individual or group of individuals, usually hired by companies or governments, to help identify potential threats on a computer or network. An ethical hacker attempts to bypass system security and search for any weak points that could be exploited by malicious hackers. Ethical Hacking, often applied in a method called Penetration Testing, is an act of forceful access into systems or networks to discover threats which may be exploited by malicious actors resulting in the loss of data, financial loss, or other major damages.