Top 10 Most Notorious Hackers of All Time

Kevin Mitnick

Hacked NORAD (inspired War Games film) and Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).

Kevin Mitnick

• Stole software and hacked Pacific Bell voicemail systems.

Kevin Mitnick

• Never used stolen data for profit—hacked “to prove it could be done.”

• Later became a cybersecurity expert; sold zero-day exploits.

Anonymous

• 2008: Attacked Church of Scientology websites and fax lines.

Anonymous

• Known for wearing Guy Fawkes masks and organizing global protests.

Adrian Lamo

• 2001: Modified a Reuters article via Yahoo’s system.

Adrian Lamo

• 2002: Hacked The New York Times intranet, added himself as an expert source.

Adrian Lamo

• Known as “The Homeless Hacker.”

Albert Gonzalez

• Mastermind behind the largest credit card theft in history.

Albert Gonzalez

• Stole over 180 million card accounts from TJX, OfficeMax, and more.

Albert Gonzalez

• Used SQL injection to access corporate networks.

Albert Gonzalez

• Alias: “Soupnazi.”

Matthew Bevan & Richard Pryce

1996: Hacked U.S. military and Korean Atomic Research Institute (KARI)
Demonstrated vulnerabilities in military networks.

Matthew Bevan & Richard Pryce

• Claimed they were investigating UFO conspiracies.

Jeanson James Ancheta

• First hacker jailed for using botnets.

Jeanson James Ancheta

• 2005: Controlled over 400,000 computers.

Michael Calce (“Mafiaboy”)

• Only 15 years old when he launched DDoS attacks in 2000.

Kevin Poulsen (“Dark Dante”)

• 17 when he hacked the Pentagon’s ARPANET in 1983.

Kevin Poulsen (“Dark Dante”)

• Later became a journalist and white-hat hacker.

Kevin Poulsen (“Dark Dante”)

• Worked with the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Jonathan James (“cOmrade”)

• First juvenile convicted of cybercrime in the U.S.

• Hacked Department of Defense systems at age 15.

Jonathan James (“cOmrade”)

• Died by suicide in 2008, criticizing the justice system in his note.

ASTRA

• 58-year-old Greek mathematician arrested in 2008.

ASTRA

• Caused over $360 million in damages.

ASTRA

means weapon in Sanskrit.