Security hacker

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v t e

A security hacker is a person who looks for ways to break or bypass defenses in a computer system or computer network.^[1] People hack for money, protest, challenge, fun, research, or to make systems stronger.^[2]

There is long debate about the word hacker. Some programmers say a hacker is just someone who knows computers very well, and that cracker should be used for people who break into systems.^[3] However, in common media use, hacker often means someone who breaks into computers in a bad way.^[4]

Hacker culture started in the 1960s with phreaking (telephone hacking). It grew in the 1980s with BBS communities. Magazines like 2600: The Hacker Quarterly and online groups like alt.2600 became part of this culture.

In 1982, the film Tron used the word "hacking". In 1983, WarGames made many people think teenage hackers could be a danger to national security. That same year, a group called The 414s from Milwaukee broke into important computer systems, including Los Alamos National Laboratory and banks.^[5] The U.S. government soon started working on laws against computer hacking and held hearings about the problem.^[6] By the late 1980s, the Morris worm and books like The Cuckoo's Egg made the word hacker widely linked to computer crime.

In computer security, people often talk about different "hat colors":

A white hat hacker (ethical hacker) uses hacking to test systems and improve security for owners or clients.^[7]

A black hat hacker breaks into systems for personal gain or to cause damage.^[8]

A grey hat is between white and black. They may break in without permission to show problems or ask for a reward to fix them. This can still be illegal or unethical in many places.^[9]

A script kiddie uses ready-made tools written by others and may not fully understand how they work.^[10]

• Crackers – people who break into computers for crime or to cause harm.^[11]
• Elite hackers – very skilled hackers who find new exploits.
• Neophytes – new or inexperienced hackers.
• Blue hat – people invited to test systems before release.
• Hacktivists – hackers who promote political or social causes.
• Nation state hackers – hackers working for governments.
• Criminal gangs – organized groups that do cybercrime for profit.

• Media related to Hacking (computer security) at Wikimedia Commons
• CNN: Timeline—history of hacking