a black-hat issue and a white hat issue?

[japanjapan]

Dear teachers
Please look at the following sentence:

This is not a black-hat-versus-white-hat issue.

I wonder what a black-hat issue is and what a white-hat issue is.
I searched the internet for these phrases by Google and found some sentences containing "black-hat issue" or "white-hat issue". But I still can not figure out their meanings according to the context: I just vaguely feel that white-hat issues refer to those things which are not harmful while black-hat issues refer to those harmful things to all sides.
but I doubt it.

Please help me with this, and by the way, are these expressions a little outdated?

Thanks

[Tdol]

'White hats' are hackers who try to use their skills to help, but exposing security flaws in computer systems. 'Black hats' are the annoying little swine that use their skills to break into things for fun or to harm.

[Tdol]

White Hat is still used by at least onbe trainging institute:
http://www.thehackademy.net/index.php

[japanjapan]

Originally Posted by tdol

'White hats' are hackers who try to use their skills to help, but exposing security flaws in computer systems. 'Black hats' are the annoying little swine that use their skills to break into things for fun or to harm.

Dear teachers,
Thank you first, but I am still confused, I think the hacker thing is only basic meaning and there must be implications.

If you search for "white-hat issue" by Google. there are 38 results, but I don't think all of them have something to do with hacker.

e.g.
He Conquered Cancer But Not Senate
... In my naiveness, I just thought being right was OK. We were told this was a white-hat issue," he said. If passed, the bill would have required the Department of Health to start an awareness campaign about prostate cancer and establish a prostate cancer advisory board. ...
http://www.florida-prostate-cancer.o...ails_FPCNNews/ Article/Conquered_Cancer_Not_Senate.htm - 12k

Can you give me more help?

Thanks

[Tdol]

Onelook.com only gives the computing definition. I presume that in the wider sense, it would mean positive of good.

[Red5]

My first guess was that it was related to Edward de Bono's "thinking hats" theory:

The White Hat
The White Hat calls for information known or needed.

The Black Hat
The Black hat is judgment—the devil’s advocate or why something may not work.

http://www.aptt.com/6hats.htm

[Tdol]

Good call, Red. That is probably the one.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by japanjapan

Dear teachers
Please look at the following sentence:

This is not a black-hat-versus-white-hat issue.

I wonder what a black-hat issue is and what a white-hat issue is.
I searched the internet for these phrases by Google and found some sentences containing "black-hat issue" or "white-hat issue". But I still can not figure out their meanings according to the context: I just vaguely feel that white-hat issues refer to those things which are not harmful while black-hat issues refer to those harmful things to all sides.
but I doubt it.

Please help me with this, and by the way, are these expressions a little outdated?

Thanks

In my opinion, these terms are references back to the days of televison westerns. In almost all cases, the good guys wore whote cowboy hats and the bad guys wore black cowboys hats. When someone says "white-hat" vs. "black-hat" it means "good" vs. "bad". In this case, the writer is saying that people have honest disagreement about this issue and it does not mean that either side is necessarily made up of good people or bad people.