isr.co.ro : glossary Hacker Originally, a person who works on computers, especially someone who does it enthusiastically and with a sense of exploration, rather than someone who's just putting in required time. In some recent public usage, a person who commits electronic trespass or uses a computer for an unauthorized purpose. More respectable members of the computer community have tried to maintain a distinction between the malicious or selfish "crackers" and the more noble "hackers," who are interested mainly in clever programming, solving problems, and tackling challenges. But the general press lumps both together as "hackers."