Translation guide
In cybersecurity contexts, a 'black hat' refers to a malicious hacker. This guide covers how to express this concept in Japanese, including the direct loanword and descriptive terms.
To refer to a hacker who violates computer security for malicious reasons or personal gain.
Direct loanword from English, widely understood in IT and security contexts. Use this as the default term.
Do not translate 'black hat' literally as 黒い帽子 (kuroi boushi) when referring to a hacker. That would mean a physical black hat, not a malicious hacker.
The black hat broke into the company's database.
Descriptive phrase meaning 'malicious hacker'. Useful when you want to be explicit or avoid loanwords.
A malicious hacker launched an attack on the system.
Older term for malicious hacker, derived from 'cracker'. Less common today and may be confused with 'cracker' (food). Use only in historical or technical discussions.
In the past, malicious hackers were called crackers.