Spammer vs Hacker - What's the difference?

Motivations of hackers (Hacker) and spammers (Spammer)

A hacker is a person or group of people who intrudes into computer systems, applications and computer equipment to steal data or money from third parties. Hackers can also lock websites or computer systems in exchange for ransom. They can also be at work scanning credit card information and transferring files containing sensitive information. The goal of a hacker is to take something - money, control or data.

Spammers have similar goals, but it's usually money. A spammer is a person or group who sends a large amount of unsolicited email to a list of users. Spammers generally seek to earn money through legitimate or fake offers.

What do spammers and hackers have in common?

It's about their goals. The spammer and the hacker usually seek to earn some money through their efforts, but not always. Sometimes the spammer tries to increase the traffic on his website or create an email list to use later.

Since the 1980s, the word hacker has been distorted to indicate something of criminal intent. The original definition of the word hacker meant any computer programmer or system administrator who was developing (or hacked) a workaround for a difficult computer problem.

In everyday life, the word pirate now means someone who hacks or enters a system with malicious intent. Like many other technological terms, there are degrees or levels of hackers - "black hat", "white hat" and "gray hat" all indicate the level of criminal activity. Black is the most dangerous and involves criminal intentions or a total violation of the rules.

Spammers are people who usually send e-mails en masse in order to make money. They do not intend to take charge of your laptop and keep control until some ransom is paid. They do not try to steal credit card numbers - this is the line between the spammer, the crook and the hacker.

Spammers send groups of emails, usually advertisements. The hope is to have the recipient click on a link and respond to an offer. It is true that many spam contains legitimate offers such as real estate ads and fitness equipment. Recipient purchases bring money back to the spammer. The email contains legitimate products or services. The buyer receives their purchase and the spammer gets a discount. SPAM is illegal because emails are smartly disguised and unsolicited. The FTC requires that advertisements be disclosed to the reader.