pedestrian hacker

plural pedestrian hackers

1. A typical hacker; a person who uses a computer to gain unauthorized access without using extraordinary equipment or brilliance.

   Of course, different people (and different organizations) have different amounts of these resources. In 2006, Bart Preneel estimated that a task of size 274 would take a pedestrian hacker one year to complete.

   2008, Neil Sholer, Abacus: A candidate for sha-3 (Submission to NIST)

   2 more examples

   According to Leahy, programs allowed out of the United States are "so weak that, according to a January 1996 study conducted by world-renowned cryptographers, a pedestrian hacker can crack the codes in a matter of hours.

   1996, International Trade Reporter: Current reports

   The real problem is just how easy it is to do. It only takes about three lines of code to attack a vulnerable server, which means attacks based on the vulnerability are well within the reach of even pedestrian hackers and cybercriminals.

   2014 September 26, Paul Cooper, “Shellshock Bash — What every business needs to know”, in BetaNews

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pedestrian, hacker. Someone who is mediocre at their craft.

   Since John happens to be about the best non-professional writer/editor on earth, I knew that I was taking an awful chance, but as it happened he had other commitments and had to pass up the opportunity of showing me up for the pedestrian hacker that I really am.

   1983 November-December, Guy M. Townsend, “Mysteriously Speaking”, in The Mystery Fancier, volume 7, number 6, →ISBN

   1 more example

   Well, then, how come you can play golf against Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player or Lee Trevino with some hope for beating them? The answer is, of course, you can't -- not unless you have a handicap. This is the great equalizer, the instrument that gives the most pedestrian hacker a shot at an even match.

   1972, The Golf Journal - Volumes 25-26, page 17