# Ethics

This page is less technical, but not less important. The techniques taught here should only be used for educational purposes.

## General Principles

* Limit your hacking to devices you own or have explicit permission to modify.
* Avoid accessing or altering others' data without explicit permission, even during research.
* Follow laws related to reverse engineering, hardware hacking, and security research in your area.
* If you're researching someone else's device or network, make sure you have their written consent.

## Good Practices

* Always notify manufacturers or vendors about vulnerabilities you discover. Give them time to fix the issue before making details public. ([Responsible Disclosure](https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Vulnerability_Disclosure_Cheat_Sheet.html))
* Share guides, findings, and tools in ways that help the community without making it easy for them to be misused. ([How to contribute](/contribute/how-to-contribute.md))

## What to Avoid

* Don't use your skills to harm, disrupt, or exploit systems or individuals.
* Avoid manipulating or interfering with other people’s equipment without their consent, like messing with public displays.
* Stay away from selling vulnerabilities, exploits, or tools to unethical buyers.

## Positive Contributions

* Use your findings to educate others about security risks and encourage better practices.
* Contribute to the community by sharing fixes, guides, or improvements that encourage ethical hacking.
* Work with manufacturers or organizations to help resolve issues you uncover.

## Resources

[Responsible Disclosure](https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Vulnerability_Disclosure_Cheat_Sheet.html)


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