What Does Crack Mean?
A crack is a methodology for breaking into a secured computer system. It was coined in the 1980s by hackers who wanted to disassociate themselves from the more malicious practices carried out by hackers. A cracker’s sole purpose is to break into a system, gaining fulfillment from being able to “crack” the system's security shield. Real hackers go beyond just opening up a system. They go inside the system to gain knowledge and information for malicious intent, playful pranks and profiteering.
The term crack is also commonly applied to the files used in software cracking programs, which enable illegal copying and the use of commercial software by breaking (or cracking) various registration and copy-protection techniques.
