Slang. a person who engages in an activity without talent or skill: weekend hackers on the golf course.
Computers.
a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast: My brother is a real hacker—he fixed my laptop in no time.
a person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., often, but not always, with malicious intent:A hacker got into my computer remotely and wiped my hard drive!The company has hired hackers to test system security.Compare black hat (def. 2), gray hat, white hat (def. 2).
Origin of hacker
First recorded in 1200–50 for def. 1; Middle English (as surname); see hack1, -er1;1965–70 for def. 2
The hackers typically threaten to publish the victim’s files if the ransom isn’t paid.
Elon Musk confirms Tesla was target of foiled ransomware attack|Kirsten Korosec|August 28, 2020|TechCrunch
An investigation determined that while the first call had been genuine, the second had come from scammers who’d paid a hacker for Xu’s number, admissions status, and request for financial aid.
Inside China’s unexpected quest to protect data privacy|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Western intelligence services allege that Russia has already deployed a team of hackers known as Cozy Bear to extract vaccine secrets from UK and US servers.
Every country wants a covid-19 vaccine. Who will get it first?|Katie McLean|August 13, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Russia has tried various tactics to get in front of the competition, with hackers in the country reportedly trying to steal vaccine data from the United States, Great Britain and Canada.
Here’s what we know about Russia’s unverified coronavirus vaccine|Tina Hesman Saey|August 11, 2020|Science News
On top of improving the efficiency, the team has tackled some of the potential side-channel attacks that a hacker could use to compromise the secure link.
China Takes Another Step Towards Uncrackable Quantum Communication|Edd Gent|June 15, 2020|Singularity Hub
Until recently, the hacker collective known as Lizard Squad was all but unknown.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the real world, he said, a hacker is more likely interested in stealing records he can sell than in harming a patient.
How Your Pacemaker Will Get Hacked|Kaiser Health News|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Four days later, 4.6 million Snapchat usernames and phone numbers were compromised and leaked online by a hacker.
‘The Snappening’ Is Real: 90,000 Private Photos and 9,000 Hacked Snapchat Videos Leak Online|Marlow Stern|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The hacker group Anonymous blew it—and tormented a woman not connected to the shooting of Michael Brown.
Web Sleuths Get It Wrong Again in Ferguson|Tim Mak|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Snowden gives the hacker community its marching orders: Fight surveillance by making privacy tools for everyone.
Snowden Tells Hackers of the World to Unite|Joshua Kopstein|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Mrs. Hacker's married daughter Sarah was a widow," said she, to give the conversation a lift.
It Never Can Happen Again|William De Morgan
Any complex system is sport for a hacker; a side effect of this is the hacker's natural affinity for problems involving security.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
"Hacker naturally thinks that your brother is still living," explained Charity.
The Torch and Other Tales|Eden Phillpotts
The bishop and Hacker melted into tears as they bade their master farewell.
Charles I|Jacob Abbott
William Lowther was the son of Robert, and came with his father to the Hacker creek settlement in 1772.
Chronicles of Border Warfare|Alexander Scott Withers
British Dictionary definitions for hacker
hacker
/ (ˈhækə) /
noun
a person that hacks
slanga computer fanatic, esp one who through a personal computer breaks into the computer system of a company, government, etc