克莱奥法斯?穆隆戈

Hacker1 vs Cracker vs Scammer： These are the three most-dreaded terms in the tech industry. Probably you have fallen a victim to one or even all of them. But， what do these terms really mean？ Are they that dangerous as they are perceived？ And what is the difference between them？ In this article， we are going to dissect the differences between a hacker， a cracker， and a scammer.

Who is a hacker？

A hacker is someone who uses special skills to identify the flaws in a computer system and works towards improving them. The skills can be networking skills， computer security skills or even system hardware skills.

If a hacker identifies security flaws within a system， he or she will work towards solving them so as to prevent any other incidence of unauthorized access. While we have defined hackers from a positive perspective， this is not always the case. This is because hackers are divided into different groups. We have a white hat and black hat hackers.

White hat hackers are the group of hackers who stay within the limits of the law while doing their job. They are a true representation of what hacking is. They do not use their skills to access any system illegally. Instead， they just do as required by an organization.

Hackers are professionals and they are usually hired by companies to test security systems. They highlight weak points within a system or a network and recommend appropriate security measures to be taken.

Goals of a hacker

Hackers， crackers， and scammers can be differentiated by the goals that they have. Hackers are mainly interested in studying how computer systems and networks work. They are familiar with all the necessary tools that are needed to get into a system.

A hacker is also aware of the techniques that a cracker will use to get into a system for the purpose of committing a malicious activity. They design various measures to prevent the activities of crackers. The overall goal of a hacker is to improve a system by making it more secure. They do what is usually known as ethical hacking.

Who is a cracker？

Crackers and hackers almost refer to the same person. However， there are some differences in the way that they do their work. While hackers act in a way that is within the legal frameworks， crackers are keen on breaking the existing laws. They use their knowledge and skills to breach the security of a computer system and network.

Crackers gain access to peoples or organizations private data and do some level of damage. The damages caused by crackers can vary. The most common ones include stealing credit card information， stealing personal details and information which they will sell， destroying or encrypting important files， making the system inaccessible to other people among many other malicious activities.

Crackers are also known as black hat hackers.

Goals of a cracker

Crackers are motivated by various factors. On top of the list is financial gain. They can attack a system with the aim of getting financial information. Some are paid by business competitors for the purpose of getting sensitive information about an organization. Some crackers execute their moves for the sake of gaining publicity or showcasing how powerful they are.

Who is a scammer？

A scammer is a person who uses fraudulent tricks and schemes in order to obtain some favor from an individual. In most cases， the favors come in the form of money. A scammer will always pretend to be someone else and will always act in a way that will win your trust. Most scammers use the internet to lure their victims into doing something.

In most cases， scammers dont have unique programming skills. Instead， they rely on using mind games. They play with the mind of a potential victim until you finally give in to their demands.

Difference between the three

From the article， we can easily point out the disparity between a hacker， scammer， and cracker. While a hacker will aim at doing good to the society， a cracker and a scammer have ill intentions. Also， hacking is an ethical and legally recognized profession. On the other hand， cracking and scamming are criminal activities.

黑客、破解者、詐骗者：这是科技行业最令人恐惧的三个术语。可能您已经遭受过其中之一甚或是上述三者的侵害。但是，这些术语的真正含义是什么？它们是否像人们认为的那样危险？它们之间又有什么区别？本文将剖析黑客、破解者以及诈骗者之间的区别。

黑客是何许人？

黑客是指利用特殊技能来识别计算机系统漏洞，并致力于修复这些漏洞的人。这些技能包括网络技能、计算机安全技能，甚或系统硬件技能。

如果黑客发现了系统中的安全漏洞，他们会努力修复这些漏洞，以防任何其他未经授权的访问事件发生。尽管我们从积极的角度对黑客进行了定义，但情况并非总是如此，因为黑客分为不同的群体，有白帽黑客和黑帽黑客。

白帽黑客是指在法律允许范围内履行职责的黑客。他们代表真正的黑客作风，不会利用其技能非法访问任何系统。相反，他们只会按照组织要求执行任务。

黑客是专业人士，通常受雇于公司来检测安全系统。他们会指出系统或网络中的薄弱环节，并建议采取适当的安全措施。

黑客的目标

黑客、破解者以及诈骗者可按照其目标加以区分。黑客主要的兴趣在于研究计算机系统及网络如何运行。他们熟悉进入系统所需的所有必要手段。

黑客也知道破解者为进行恶意活动而进入系统时所使用的技术。他们设计多种方法防止破解者进行活动。黑客的总体目标是通过提高系统安全性来改进系统。他们的工作通常被称为道德黑客行为。

破解者是何许人？

破解者和黑客几乎指的是同一类人。但是，他们的工作方式有所不同。黑客在法律框架内工作;破解者则热衷于违反现有法律，利用自己的知识和技能来破坏计算机系统和网络的安全。

破解者获取个人或组织的专用数据，并对其造成一定程度的破坏。破解者造成的破坏各有不同，最常见的恶意活动包括窃取信用卡信息、窃取并出售个人详细信息、破坏或加密重要文件，以及使他人无法访问系统。

破解者也被称为黑帽黑客。

破解者的目标

破解者的动机是多方面的，最重要的就是经济利益。他们会攻击系统，以获取财务信息。有些破解者受雇于商业竞争对手，为其获取某一组织的敏感信息。有些破解者则出于吸引公众注意或炫耀能力的目的进行恶意活动。

诈骗者是何许人？

诈骗者是指使用诈骗手段及谋划骗局以从个人处获利的人。他们大多是为金钱而行骗。诈骗者总是伪装成他人，并且总是以骗取信任的方式行骗。大多数诈骗者都会利用互联网引诱受害者，进行诈骗活动。

诈骗者大多不具备高超的编程技能，而是依靠心理博弈，与潜在受害者打心理战，直至其任由他们摆布。

三者的区别

从文章中，我们可以轻易指出黑客、破解者与诈骗者之间的差异。黑客旨在对社会做有益的事，而破解者和诈骗者则居心不良。另外，黑客是一种合乎道德且受法律认可的职业。与之相反，破解及诈骗则是犯罪活动。

[译者单位：中国石油大学（北京）]