Hacker
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Related to White hat hacker: Black hat hacker
Hacker
A person who infiltrates a computer system, usually in order to gather information. A hacker finds a way past the system's protocols. Some hackers do this simply for the thrill, though many others hack for nefarious purposes. For example, a hacker may be hired by a company or government to conduct espionage on a competitor or enemy. Other hackers freelance in order to find things like credit card numbers to facilitate identity theft and other crimes. However, the word is not always used in a negative context.