Discussion of the Term Ethical Hacker 
Michael E. Whitman, Ph.D., CISM, CISSP
Professor in Information Systems and Information Security and Assurance
Kennesaw State University
Presentation Abstract:
When the computer era began, a hacker was a computer enthusiast, someone who enjoyed pushing the boundaries of computer technologies, and who frequently had to apply unorthodox techniques to accomplish their desired goals. Today, the term has evolved into one with a much more sinister definition. By definition the phrase ‘ethical hacker’ is an oxymoron. The actions taken by an information security professional to thoroughly test an organization’s information assets and their security posture is not hacking, it is referred to as penetration testing. As security professionals we must choose our terms with care. This presentation will discuss the concept of the ‘ethical hacker’ and seek to dissuade participants from the use of this contradictory descriptor.
Bio:
Dr. Whitman is a Professor of Information Security at Kennesaw State University, with over seventeen years in higher education and over seven years experience designing and implementing information security courses. He has authored several textbooks in information security including: Principles of Information Security, 3rd ed., Management of Information Security, 2nd ed., Principles of Incident Response and Disaster Recovery, Guide to Firewalls and Network Security, Readings and Cases in the Management of Information Security, and The Hands-On Information Security Lab Manual, 3rd ed.
Dr. Whitman is an active researcher in Information Security, Fair and Responsible Use Policies, and Ethical Computing and Information Systems Research Methods. He has published Information Systems articles in Information Systems Research, the Communications of the ACM, Information and Management, the Journal of International Business Studies, and the Journal of Computer Information Systems. He is a member of the Information Systems Security Association, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the Association for Information Systems.
