“The hackers cracked into the bank's servers.”
Usage Entry 1130 / 1350 60-second read
Hack vs. Crack
To creatively solve versus to break into a system.
The comparisoni
“The hackers broke into the bank's servers — "crack" in security means break. "Hack" is older and broader, originally positive.”
The ruleii
¶
HACK = clever. CRACK = break-in.
In the original MIT sense, a HACK is a clever, often creative technical solution. CRACK in security specifically means unauthorised breaking-in. The media uses HACK for both; security practitioners still distinguish.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Hack = creative. Crack = criminal.