Dr. Petter Lovaas, Ph.D., ACE

Biography

Dr. Petter Lovaas, a native of Sandefjord, Norway, served a mandatory year in the military after high school. He took general education courses at the American College of Norway in Moss, then studied at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks before transferring to the University of Minnesota-Crookston.  There, he received his B.S. in Information Technology Management with an emphasis on networking and system administration. During his undergraduate years, he worked as a Help Desk Coordinator and an IT professional.

At Dakota State University in Madison, SD, Lovaas began a graduate program in Information Assurance, specializing in the banking sector, one of 11 critical infrastructures determined by the U.S. government.  Upon completion of his M.S., Lovaas enrolled in a doctoral program at Dakota State, specializing in Information Assurance and Computer Security. He was employed as a security consultant, assisting banks and other financial institutions with the successful completion of federal IT security exams and their information security needs.

During his graduate studies, Lovaas received a graduate teaching assistantship and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. He received his Doctor of Science in May 2010. The title of his dissertation is “A Holistic Information Technology Audit Framework for Small- and Medium-Sized Financial Institutions.”

Lovaas has presented papers at national and international conferences and published articles in information technology journals. He continues his research in information security and computer forensics.  In addition, Lovaas received his Access Data Certified Examiner (ACE) Certification.

Focus of Teaching

• Information security
• Digital Forensics
• Information systems
• Computer Networks

Current Research

• Information security
• Computer forensics

Educational Background

• B.S. in Information Technology Management, University of Minnesota-Crookston
• M.S. in Information Assurance, Dakota State University
• Ph.D. in Information Assurance and Computer Security, Dakota State University