Although the modern media has defined the Hacker as a digital security risk, an individual that given the opportunity would maliciously gain access to a computer system and take or destroy any data that they chose, writing malicious software packages that are intended to corrupt data anywhere it is found, and generally perform vicious and unprovoked attacks.
This definition although very popular is equally very wrong; the name Hacker began as a way of identifying a programmer (a person developing software) that is prototyping or creating a mock up, which traditionally means that the software is being written quickly, and is often full of computer bugs or errors. This fast prototyping was called, rather unflatteringly, Hacking and thus the individual(s) programming the prototype, Hackers.
The common definition of a Hacker can however be used for a Cracker, this is an individual that wants to gain access to computer systems and the information held within them, attacking systems until stopped or the data is in their possession.
The name Cracker came about almost at the same time, as an identifier between the two, it was used to separate the two individuals from each other and from each other's work, neither party wanting to be known as the other for obvious reasons.
After their inception Crackers soon had to be countered with a defensive force, and this continues today, Crackers try to attacks systems and security personal try to stop them by creating better security procedures etc.
In simple language; Hackers create, whilst Crackers destroy, this is the way it is, the way the internet was built and how security issues have always been defined.
