A black hat is a computer hacker, who disobeys laws or violates ethical standards for purposes such as civil disobedience, cybercrime, cyberwarfare, or malice. These acts can range from piracy to identity theft. A black hat is often referred to as a "cracker". It is worth noting that the term "Black Hat" is also used outside of direct infrastructure hacking; in digital marketing, "Black Hat SEO" refers to practices that violate search engine guidelines to manipulate rankings, which is distinct from malicious cyber warfare or cybercrime.