ethical hacker

American  

[eth-i-kuhl hak-er] / ˈɛθ ɪ kəl ˈhæk ər /

noun

Digital Technology.

1. a hacker who violates the security of a system usually with the knowledge and consent of the owner or developer, in order to test the code, without malicious intent.

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Etymology

Origin of ethical hacker

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ethical hacker

An ethical hacker who just won major prizes at a prestigious international competition says her days of competing could be numbered due to the rise of AI tools like Claude Mythos.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

“This idea is that an ethical hacker can find vulnerabilities that can be fixed before they can be exploited by bad actors,” Lippincott said.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

Rachel Tobac, an ethical hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security, offered a hypothetical example of how the feature could go awry.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 1, 2022

Chowdhury was trained as an ethical hacker and observed that her friends working in cybersecurity are often able to protect systems more nimbly by creating financial incentives for people to help.

From The Verge ● Nov. 19, 2021

As an ethical hacker, security researcher and data analyst, I have seen firsthand how disinformation is becoming the new focus of cyberattacks.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2018