“I’m in”.
It only took two words for Hollywood’s glamorized conception of a hacker to stick like glue to the cultural consciousness. While real-life hacking takes a lot more work than typing fast on a keyboard and spouting off buzzwords, we remain fascinated by the stories of real-life hackers as well. But who among the bunch can truly claim the title of sitting among the most famous hackers in history?
Well, that’s where we come in. It’s time to look at our list of the most famous hackers! So let’s not waste any more time and jump right into things!
Kevin Mitnick
One of the only hackers on this list committing hacking crimes before the Internet exploded in popularity, Kevin Mitnick got his start as a teenager pulling un-used bus tickets out of the trash. He then used a punch machine to get himself all the free rides he could ever need.
It wasn’t long before he’d graduated to hacking the voice mail systems of phone companies and tricking companies into handing him project source codes. Law enforcement would chase him for years before they finally caught him. Once released from prison, Mitnick became a “white hat” hacker, working for companies to help improve their cybersecurity.
If you want to learn the full story of Kevin Mitnick, check out this article for more.
ASTRA
ASTRA earned their spot in the hacker hall of fame by infiltrating the Dassault Group, a collection of French companies serving everything from aeronautics to real estate. They stole the specs for weapons data from the company multiple times across 5 years and sold them off to private buyers for tons of cash.
To date, their true identity is still unknown to the public.
Anonymous
A loose collective of hackers dedicated to exposing the truth and keeping the powerful in check, Anonymous has hacked big-name targets from the Texas GOP to the Church of Scientology and leaked their records to the public. While their lack of structure seems like it would hinder the group, it helps members evade law enforcement since there is no official hierarchy or lineup.
One common thread members do share is the use of the Guy Fawkes mask as a symbol. The mask first appeared in a public march members of Anonymous did in 2008.
Alexsey Belan
Alexsey Belan gained his notoriety through lending his services to other hackers to swipe personal info from sites like Yahoo and sell them off. He also hacked into messaging service ICQ and numerous servers for video games. Going by the alias M4G, it wasn’t long until Belan’s crimes caught the eye of law enforcement.
That said, he still hasn’t gotten caught. Many believe some of his hacks were in collusion with Russia, and law enforcement suspects he could still be hiding out there.
Jonathan James
From nabbing millions of dollars worth of NASA software to stealing passwords from the Department of Defense right under their nose, Jonathan James began a big name in the hacking world before he had even turned 18. He was placed under house arrest in 2000, with some jail time thrown in for violating probation.
Sadly, James shot himself in 2008. This occurred after law enforcement began implicating him in a hacking scheme against the department store chain TJX.
These Famous Hackers Aren’t the Only Ones
So, now that you have this list of the most famous hackers in history, where do you go from here? Well, if you’re still hungry to learn more about the history of cybercrime and its famous perpetrators, come back and check out the other articles on our website!
