Which term identifies a person who illegally accesses a system with malicious intent?

• A. Hacker
• B. Grayware
• C. Grey-Hat hackers
• D. Frame Relay

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is the label for someone who breaks into computer systems with harmful aims. In security terminology, a person who illegally gains access to a system with malicious intent is referred to as a hacker. While the term can be used broadly to include skilled researchers, in many exam contexts it denotes the intruder who exploits vulnerabilities for wrongdoing, which matches the description in the question.

Grayware is not a person at all—it’s software that behaves undesirably or is deceptive. Grey-Hat hackers describe individuals who hack without explicit permission but with mixed or unclear motives, so they aren’t a precise match for someone who illegally accesses with clear malicious intent. Frame Relay is a networking technology, not a person. So the best fit for the described role is hacker.