| − | A security cracker (a.k.a. "hacker") is someone who exploits vulnerabilities to gain access to secured systems and information, and in some cases, control of such vulnerable systems. Motivations for such activity can vary from evil desire to penetration testing for security. Those who engage in hacking are often classified into a category which is referred to by a certain hat color. This unusual naming system probably comes from the "western" genre of black-and-white television, in which the people wearing white hats were often "good-guys" while the people in black hats were usually "bad guys." | + | A '''security cracker''' (a.k.a. "hacker") is someone who exploits vulnerabilities to gain access to secured systems and information, and in some cases, control of such vulnerable systems. Motivations for such activity can vary from evil desire to penetration testing for security. Those who engage in hacking are often classified into a category which is referred to by a certain hat color. This unusual naming system probably comes from the "western" genre of black-and-white television, in which the people wearing white hats were often "good-guys" while the people in black hats were usually "bad guys." |