Hack

Unauthorized attempt or access to an information system. The State and Local Election Cybersecurity Playbook Defending Digital Democracy Project Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/files/publication/StateLocalPlaybook%201.1.pdf

Used as either as a verb or noun, or hacker (one who hacks). It can take on two different meanings depending on the context. The first meaning, less common outside of technical circles, is as a noun and refers to an improvement or quick fix. This has lead to things like hackathons, events where people work collaboratively to prototype small technical proofs of concept. The second, more commonly used meaning, is as a verb to mean interfering with or subverting a computer system or network. Hack is an imprecise term, which can be used to refer to a wide range of activities. Using the second meaning, it is less precise to “an election was hacked,” rather than say “an election was interfered with through the hacking of a particular computer system.” A hacker is typically categorized based on the intent of their hacking activities: “white hat” if their intent is beneficial or “black hat” if their intent is malicious. Election Cybersecurity 101 Field Guide – Glossary Center for Democracy & Technology https://cdt.org/insight/election-cybersecurity-101-field-guide-glossary/