Developer's Guide to Web Application Security

Understanding the Terms

Let’s take a couple of minutes to be sure you understand what it means when we

talk about a hacker. Many different terms are used to describe a hacker, many of

which have different connotations depending on who is describing whom. See The

Jargon File (www.eps.mcgill.ca/jargon/jargon.html) to get a sense of how the com-

munity has developed its own vocabulary and culture.

Webster’s Dictionary appropriately defines hacking as a variety of things, including a

destructive act that leaves something mangled or a clever way to circumvent a

problem; a hacker can be someone who is enthusiastic about an activity. Similarly, in

the IT w