Security hacker A security hacker is someone who explores methods for breaching defenses and exploiting weaknesses in a computer system or network . [1] Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, information gathering, [2] challenge, recreation, [3] or evaluation of a system weaknesses to assist in formulating defenses against potential hackers. The subculture that has evolved around hackers is often referred to as the "computer underground". [4] Longstanding controversy surrounds the meaning of the term " hacker ". In this controversy, computer programmers reclaim the term hacker , arguing ...