The term cracker is used as a neutral nickname by inhabitants of georgia and florida. While cracker also is someone who accesses a computer or network illegally but has the intent of destroying data, stealing information, or. The term is often misused in a pejorative context, where cracker would be the correct term. In techno terminology, cracker is a descriptor for someone who breaks.
A cracker might be performing cracking for malicious activities, profit, for certain nonprofit intentions or causes, or just for a challenge. Its also anything that cracks, like a firecracker or a computer code cracker, or of course, that thin, savory snack that. A cracker is a person who breaks in to a security system only with a malicious intent. A person who attempts to gain unauthorized access to a computer. In mainstream press, the word hacker is often used to refer to a malicious security cracker. Lets now jump to the formal definition of a cracker. Difference between hacker and cracker is that the term hacker, although originally a complimentary word for a computer enthusiast, now has a derogatory meaning and refers to someone who accesses a computer or network illegally. The definition of a hacker may vary depending on who you ask, but in most.
The term was coined in the mid80s by hackers who wanted to differentiate themselves from individuals whose sole purpose is to sneak through security systems. A hacker can hack his or her way through the security levels of a computer system or network. Christmas cracker definition and meaning collins english. Because a cracker uses lowlevel hacker skills to do the cracking, the terms. This can be as simple as figuring out somebody elses password or as.
As such, hackers with malicious intent have been defined as crackers. Some crackers break into a network system deliberately to point out the flaws. Urban dictionary and our advertising partners set cookies on your computer to improve our site and the advertisements you see. In recent times the differentiation between the definitions of the. Computer cracker definition of computer cracker by the. Malicious person who attempts or breaks into a secure computer system, with the intent of stealing or destroying information or disabling the system. It can also be used to help a human cracker obtain. Prevention the world of technology includes devices, software programs, and applications.
Information and translations of crackers in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Generally people are of the opinion that there is almost no difference between the two. A person who breaks in to a computer system for the purpose of earning profit, finding security loopholes of the system, showing protest or just for the sake of challenge is called a hacker. Various theories exists regarding this terms application to poor white southerners. All the way back to the age of shakespeare, at least. In computing, the phrase crack is used to mean the act of breaking into a computer system. A cracker is an individual who performs cracking, or the process of breaking into a computer or a network system. Cracker article about cracker by the free dictionary. Because a cracker uses lowlevel hacker skills to do the cracking, the terms cracker and hacker have become synonymous with the latter becoming the predominant term. But when the nickname is used by outsiders, it is usually with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting by georgians and floridians. Look up cracker or crackers in wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The term cracker is not to be confused with hacker. A term in southeastern united states english to describe poor white trash, derived from the scottish meaning of the verb to crack, which, in this sense denotes ostentation. The purpose of a cracker is to break the security of computers and networks. A cracker is a computer user who attempts to break into ed software or a network computer system. A password cracker is an application program that is used to identify an unknown or forgotten password to a computer or network resources. Cracker term, a slang, sometimes derogatory term for any person of white european descent.
North american english, slang an offensive word for a poor white person with little education from the southern us informal a person who illegally finds a way of looking at or stealing information on somebody elses computer. A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese. Hacker definition the tech terms computer dictionary. The hackers and the crackers are precisely the people who have extensive knowledge about the computers and networks ranging from how they are built, how they work, the programming, the codes and everything else that relates to the security.
I should explain to your lordship what is meant by crackers. What is a cracker in the computer and mobile device world. According to richard stallman, who proposed the term cracker, the difference is that a cracker breaks the security of computer systems, and a hacker is a person who likes to explore computer systems and master them, in the context of software. Information and translations of cracker in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions. But it turns out crackers roots go back even further than the 17th century. These individuals are often malicious, as opposed to hackers, and have many means at their disposal for breaking into a system. Sense of computer cracker, crack, cracking, were promoted in the 1980s as an alternative to hacker, by programmers concerned about negative public associations of hack, hacking creative computer coding. A cracker is someone who breaks into someone elses computer system often on a network bypasses.
Whereas crackers sole aim is to break into secure systems, hackers are more interested in gaining knowledge about computer systems and possibly. Crackers definition in the cambridge english dictionary. This page explains what the slang term cracker means. To put it in simple terms one may define a hacker as someone who identifies the. A cracker is a computer user who attempts to break into. It implies a person who lives in the utmost worst conditions and a person who no one really cares about. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a contemptuous term used to refer to a white person, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. Cracker definition in the cambridge english dictionary.
The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team. Crackers are sophisticated, well equipped criminals, whereas bright young programmers looking for a challenge are called hackers because of the absence of criminal intent. Computer cracker, a security hacker who maliciously exploits weaknesses in a computer or network. We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. In this controversy, computer programmers reclaim the term hacker, arguing that it refers simply to someone with an advanced understanding of computers and computer networks and that cracker is the more appropriate term for those who break into computers, whether computer criminals or computer security experts. Browse through our list of over 15,000 computer terms and definitions using the above search, browsing by letter, or by clicking one of the links below. If i were forced to define the terms hacker and cracker, my bottom line. A cracker is someone who breaks into someone elses computer system, often on a network. A cracker is an individual who attempts to access computer systems without authorization. Crackers definition of crackers by the free dictionary. Today, cracker is often used as a derogatory term for a white person for obvious reasons. Computer cracker synonyms, computer cracker pronunciation, computer cracker translation, english dictionary definition of computer cracker. So now we need to ask, are the terms hacker and cracker that different.
It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida or georgia see florida cracker and georgia cracker. Computer dictionary definition for what cracker means including related links, information, and terms. Cracker definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Hackers and crackers the difference between hackers and. A cracker can be doing this for profit, maliciously, for some altruistic purpose or cause, or because the challenge is there. While this term originally referred to a clever or expert programmer, it is now more commonly used to refer to someone who can gain unauthorized access to other computers. Commonly, cracking is done with the intent to release the software from programmatic padlocks so that it can be used without paying royalties. Computer cracker article about computer cracker by the.
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