hacker

Everyday

1. A hacker is a person who uses computer skills to get into computers or systems, often without permission, which is a crime. tree →
2. A hacker can also be a very skilled programmer who enjoys solving computer problems in clever ways. tree →
3. An ethical hacker («white hat») is paid to find weak spots so they can be fixed. tree →
4. (informal) A hacker in sport is a poor player, especially in golf. tree →

In the lessons

In computing and online safety lessons, hackers are a reason to use strong passwords and never share them. Breaking into someone's account is illegal even for a joke. Some hackers work for companies to keep systems safe. In news, «hackers stole data» means criminals got into a system. Phrases: ethical hacker, white-hat hacker, black-hat hacker.

Examples

• A hacker tried to get into the school website. tree →
• Use a strong password to protect your account from hackers. tree →
• Ethical hackers help banks find weak spots. tree →
• Hackers stole thousands of email addresses. tree →
• My cousin is a hacker who builds robots in his garage. tree →
• Logging into someone else's account without permission is a crime. tree →
• The hackers at the competition fixed the bug in an hour. tree →

Note

Countable. The word itself can be good (a clever programmer) or bad (a criminal); the news nearly always uses the bad sense. The verb is «hack».