As some of you may know, the word hacker was born outside the context of information security. Heck, it was born before information security (or cybersecurity if you will) was even a thing. In the 1960s, a hacker was simply a benevolent way to refer to the first computer enthusiasts and geeks, according to MIT’s New Hacker Dictionary.Fast forward 50 years and—despite a failed effort to change the common perception—most news publications, dictionaries, and the general populace, understand hacker to be someone malicious, someone who breaks into computers or systems with the intent of stealing data or doing some other illegal or unauthorized activity.Here’s how the Oxford dictionary defines hacker:Got a tip? You can contact this reporter securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, OTR chat at lorenzofb@jabber.ccc.de, or email lorenzo@motherboard.tv
The Cambridge Dictionary uses a similar definition.A person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data.
Dictionary.com acknowledges a non malicious definition but also includes the common, negative, connotation:A person who is skilled in the use of computer systems, often one who illegally obtains access to private computer systems.
And,A person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast.
A person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., usually with malicious intent.
The Cambridge University Press, which publishes the dictionary, did not respond to a request for comment. But in a response to Mickos’ tweet, Cambridge seemed to indicate it’s looking into it. It may be too late anyway, but a rebranding of the word would be crucial to encouraging more young professionals to get into cybersecurity, and help fill the huge gap of jobs that will be required to secure an increasingly connected world.Get six of our favorite Motherboard stories every day by signing up for our newsletter.Hackers can now be used to refer to both the good guys, also known as white hat hackers, who play and tinker with systems with no malicious intent (and actually often with the intent of finding flaws so they can be fixed), and cybercriminals, or "black hat" hackers, or "crackers."