The first and original computer hackers emerged in the 1960s at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). However, the word “hack” signified a totally different meaning then. At that time, it referred to an elegant and clever technique of doing almost anything on the computer. These “hacks” were basically computer shortcuts that made computing tasks quicker. The good old hacking was basically exploring and figuring out how the wired world works. Geeks who did this were called hackers.

The earliest known use of the term “hacking” is from the 20 November 1963 issue of The Tech, the student paper of the MIT.
“Hacking” was possibly derived from the metaphor of continually hacking or chopping away at an object, until it finally gives way. However, today, the term is often used to describe computer criminals who break into or harm computers. Therefore, purists want those who break into computers to be called as “crackers” rather than “hackers”.