In computing, a hacker is any skilled computer expert that uses their technical knowledge to overcome a problem. While "hacker" can refer to any computer programmer, the term has become associated in popular culture with a "security hacker", someone who, with their technical knowledge, uses bugs or exploits to break into computer systems.
White hats are hackers employed with the efforts of keeping data safe from other hackers by looking for loopholes and hackable areas. This type of hacker typically gets paid quite well, and receives no jail time due to the consent of the company that hired them.
Grey hats are hackers who are neither good nor bad, and often include people who hack 'for fun' or to 'troll'. They may both fix and exploit, though grey hats are usually associated with black hat hackers.
Black hats or crackers are hackers with malicious intentions, and steal, exploit, and sell data. They are usually motivated by personal gain.
A cracker is like a black hat hacker [5] but is specifically someone who is very skilled and tries to make profits or to benefit from criminal gain. Crackers find exploits to systems securities and vulnerabilities but often use them to their advantage by either selling the fix to the company themselves or keeping the exploit and selling it to other black hat hackers who in turn use the information to steal information or gain royalties.
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