Legal basis
Is hiring a hacker legal? When it is, and when it is not
Is hiring a hacker legal? Yes, when the person who owns the systems authorises the work in writing. So the law turns on permission rather than technique, and that single document decides which side of the line you are on.
- Signed scope before testing
- Fixed price agreed in writing
- OWASP and PTES methods
Why hiring a hacker is legal with authorisation
In the US, the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act guidance concerns access without authorisation or beyond it. Similarly, the UK Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes unauthorised access an offence. Therefore authorised testing of your own systems sits on the lawful side, while the same activity against someone else does not.
When hiring a hacker is not legal
Some requests are offences however they are phrased, so hiring a hacker for them is not legal. Also, paying someone else to commit them does not make them lawful.
- Accessing another person's accounts, messages or devices
- Testing a company's systems without its permission
- Retrieving data you are not entitled to
- Disrupting a service you do not own
Is hiring a hacker legal in your case?
Tick each statement that is true. All five should be.
Your result appears here as you tick, so you can see what is still open.
The documents that keep hiring a hacker legal
Three documents keep hiring a hacker legal. So we will not start without them.
| Document | What it fixes |
|---|---|
| Scope of work | Which systems are in and out. |
| Authorisation | Who owns them, and who permits the test. |
| Rules of engagement | Techniques, windows and contacts. |
Keeping hiring a hacker legal on hosted systems
Hiring a hacker is legal only for what you control, and owning an account on a platform is not the same as owning the platform. So where cloud or hosting providers publish testing policies, we confirm them before day one. As a result, the test stays inside what every owner has allowed.
If you have been hacked yourself
Do not hire anyone to strike back, because that creates a second offence. Instead, report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center or your national authority, and secure your own accounts. Then, for an organisation, a scoped test afterwards shows how the intruder got in.
Questions on whether hiring a hacker is legal
Is hiring a hacker legal for my own company?
Yes, with written authorisation from someone who controls the systems.
Is hiring a hacker legal to get into a partner's phone?
No. Accessing another person's device without permission is an offence.
Does a contract make any request legal?
No. A contract cannot authorise access to systems the client does not own.
Is hiring a hacker legal across borders?
It can be, provided each owner authorises the work and local law is checked.
Related guides
Start with a signed scope
Tell us what you own and what you need tested. We reply with the scope, the authorisation and the rules of engagement for you to sign, plus one fixed fee.
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