Grey hat hackers operate in the intermediate area between white hat hackers and black hat hackers. They use their technical skills to uncover security gaps in the IT security of companies in order to gain access to the networks.
The difference between grey hat hackers and white hat hackers is that grey hat hackers act on their own initiative without permission or on behalf of the company. Once they have discovered security gaps in the system, they differ from black hat hackers in that they do not blackmail or cause damage. Instead, they inform the affected company of the vulnerabilities identified and demand financial compensation. If this demand is rejected, grey hat hackers threaten to publish the vulnerabilities before they are used by black hat hackers for illegal purposes.
Grey hat hackers therefore operate in the gray area between legal and illegal activities and are known for their ambivalent approach to IT security.