hacker/cracker

hacker

A person who delights in having an intimate understanding of the

internal workings of a system, computers and computer networks in

particular. The term is often misused in a pejorative context,

where “cracker” would be the correct term. See also: cracker.

cracker

A cracker is an individual who attempts to access computer systems

without authorization. These individuals are often malicious, as

opposed to hackers, and have many means at their disposal for

breaking into a system. See also: hacker, Computer Emergency

Response Team, Trojan Horse, virus, worm.