5 Most Famous Hakers

Even if you know almost nothing about computer viruses, it is still probably heard about the so-called “worms.” The first who launched such a virus into the network was Robert Tappan Morris.

1. Robert Tappan Morris

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Graduate student at Cornell University Morris created his “worm” and November 2, 1988 released his network than six paralyzed thousands of computers in the United States. Later he claimed he just wanted to see how the Internet has grown, and that has turned out – the consequences of out of control experiment. However, the “worm” was something much more than just a test: he read the / etc / passwd, trying to find the passwords for the accounts. In the end, Morris was fined and sentenced to three years probation.

Morris later became a professor at Harvard University and author of a huge number of developments in the field of software. Today he is a professor of computer science at MIT.Good career for a hacker.

2.  Kevin Mitnick

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It all started when Kevin Mitnick suddenly wanted to use public transport for free.

Mitnick broke into the bus system in Los Angeles with the help of a fake travel document.Later, at age 12, he became a fraud phone – at first amused, redirecting home phone signal to a payphone and listening to the owners home phone conversation before asking for lower dime. Then just got to make free calls anywhere he wanted. A few years later, Mitnick already searched all over the country for breaking network Digital Equipment Corporation and stealing their programs. It may have been his first notable break-in, but later got a guy in a network of telephone giant Nokia and Motorola.

FBI caught him in 1995 after breaking a leading American expert on computer security Tsutomu Shimomura. Mitnick was sentenced to five years in prison, and when released from prison, became involved in the protection of computer systems and founded Defensive Thinking Inc., Specializing in computer security. He also wrote several books about hackers.

3.  Adrian Lamo

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Yes, companies sometimes hire hackers to test the weaknesses in their systems, but no one ever hired Adrian Lamo.

In 2002 and 2003, Lamo hacked into the systems of several large companies just for fun, and then informed of the error in their security systems. Among the sites attacked by hackers were Microsoft, Yahoo and the New York Times, where he added your contact information to the database experts.

Known as the “homeless hacker,” Lamo often worked by connecting to a network of Internet cafes and public libraries. Many believe that they moved thirst for glory. Lamo network intrusion NY Times in 2003 attracted the attention of opponents cybercrime, he was caught and sentenced to six months of house arrest and two years probation. Lamo now operates in a known lecturer and journalist, an independent security consultant, but it avoids any wage office work.

4.  Gary McKinnon (aka Solo)

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London hacker Gary McKinnon Scottish descent acted not so much fun as pursuing political goals.

In 2002, McKinnon got into computers U.S. Department of Defense, Army, Navy, Air Force and NASA. Later he said he was looking for evidence of hiding information about UFOs, withholding information about alternative energy sources and other technologies potentially useful to society.

This is no joke. McKinnon said he has reason to believe that the U.S. government is hiding alien technology that could solve the global energy crisis. However, a self-taught hacker admits he could “accidentally” delete a whole bunch of other files and may damage some hard drives when trying to cover their tracks. However, he still insists that nothing much has happened.

The U.S. government, in turn, said that the attack McKinnon cost $ 800,000, and also questioned the hacker was really looking for information about UFOs. British lawyers who have taken under the protection of Gary, insisting that their client, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, deserves special treatment due to the unstable mental health.

5. Raphael Gray (aka Curador)

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Raphael Gray called himself a saint and insisted that he was only trying to help e-commerce sites when they hacked into the database to steal credit card numbers and personal information 26,000 American, British and Canadian customers in 2000.

Then 18-year-old Welsh teenager said that was just trying to draw attention to security vulnerabilities. Though not entirely clear why he then put the stolen card numbers publicly available on the Internet, but that is another question.

In 2001, Gray was sentenced to three years of forced psychiatric treatment.

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