White hat hacker

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White Hat Hacker: An ethical computer hacker, or a computer security expert, who specializes in penetration testing and in other testing methodologies to ensure the security of an organization's information systems. [1]

An ethical hacker’s evaluation of a system’s security seeks answers to three basic questions:[2]

  • What can an intruder see on the target systems?
  • What can an intruder do with that information?
  • Does anyone at the target notice the intruder’s attempts or successes?

Personal Definition: An individual who focuses on finding weak points in an information system in order to prevent malicious hackers from capitalizing on these soft spots. The goal of a white hat hacker is to ensure the utmost safety for an organization's electronic system.

References:

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_hat_%28computer_security%29
  2. http://pdf.textfiles.com/security/palmer.pdf