Cybersecurity is becoming one of the most evolving industries, with famous hackers all around the world that are contributing to the expansion of technologies. Cyber issues and vulnerabilities raised by them bring solutions with new technologies.
According to Cybersecurity Ventures, “Cybercrime is predicted to cost the global economy a staggering $9.5 trillion by 2024.”
Cybercrime is increasing, but who are these evil talents? They work undercover, but still, the famous hackers astonish the world with their shady but genius brains. Ethical hacking also exists, but today we’ll talk about the hacking that brings famous hackers on the earth.
The Top 5 Famous Hackers In the World
Here, we’ll discover world famous hackers of the cyber industry.
1. Kevin Mitnick: The Condor
Kevin Mitnick secured his name among famous hackers after stealing the computer manuals of Nokia and Motorola (Pacific Bell) in 1981. In 1982, he hacked the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which put him on the list of the FBI’s most wanted. He inspired the movie War Games after this hack in 1983.
He also accessed the Digital Equipment Corporation’s (DEC) network and created copies of their software. The popularity of DEC made him renowned around the world. His arrest warrants were issued, and he was convicted and imprisoned. He never exploited the data he accessed; that’s why people today know him as a white-hat hacker. This shift from the most wanted hacker to white hat occurred when he launched “Zero Day Exploit Exchange” to help organizations protect themselves against similar attacks.
2. Adrian Lamo: The Homeless Hacker
Source: Wired
Andrian Lamo is widely known for his Homeless hacker style, as he used to travel in Greyhound buses and often used public Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops and libraries to hide his tracks. In 2001, he hacked the Yahoo content management system, got access to the Reuters article, and inserted a quote he generated with the name of Attorney General John Ashcroft.
In some cases, he also wiped out the mess and improved their security, as his main purpose was to tell how much the internet could be harmful. He then hacked the New York Times, after which he got jailed for 6 months.
3. Albert Gonzalez: The Retail Hacker
Source: IMDb
Albert Gonzales was also caught up in the list of famous hackers for his retail payment hacking. From 2005 to 2007, he ran a group of hackers into large retail corporations such as TJX Corporation, Heartland Payment Systems, and 7-Eleven. Gonzalez and his crew stole roughly 170 million credit card numbers from these organizations’ networks, which were then sold on the black market. Gonzalez exploited SQL injection attacks to get access to credit card systems, underscoring the dangers of database vulnerabilities.
4. Gary McKinnon: The NASA Hacker
Source: LinkedIn
Gary McKinnon is a British hacker and a leading name in the history of military cyberattacks. Between 2001 and 2002, he gained access to 97 US military and NASA networks while claiming to be hunting for evidence of extraterrestrial life (Aliens) and hidden free energy technology. The hack caused around $700,000 in damages and triggered a full investigation. The interesting act that he did in between these vulnerabilities also depicts his style and boldness. He left a note saying, “Your security is crap.”
After a decade-long court battle, the British government ultimately denied his extradition request. McKinnon’s case highlighted weaknesses in government networks and posed issues of international jurisdiction and cyber law.
5. Astra: 58-Year-Old Mathematician
Astra never disclosed its public identity and still holds a question mark (?). Although the name Astra is a Sanskrit word that refers to a weapon. He stole and sold company secrets, including cutting-edge weapon technology software, to around 250 individuals after breaking into the Dassault Group. It is a French corporation that received subsidies for both military and commercial aviation in 2002. The Dassault Group suffered damages of $360 million as a result of his hack. Later on, in 2008, he got arrested in Athens, Greece, and then his partial identity was revealed as a 58-year-old mathematician.
Bonus Read! Rising Famous Ethical Hacker: Rafay Baloch
Source: Metrix
Rafay Baloch is a Pakistani ethical hacker who got attention from all big forums in the beginning for his unique ethical hacking skills and discoveries. He earned recognition in the global cybersecurity community in 2014 when he discovered a URL spoofing vulnerability in mobile web browsers.
He also ranked among the top participants in Microsoft’s and PayPal’s bug bounty programs, having discovered numerous critical vulnerabilities. His work on digital banking app security and Android vulnerabilities has also heightened mobile security awareness globally.
He also contributes to the hacking industry via publications and his research. He also published a book, Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Guide, in which he covered various aspects of ethical hacking and cybersecurity practices.
The cybersecurity and hacking industry is taking a step forward every day. Famous hackers always introduce new vulnerabilities and security gaps with a call to research breaches to come up with better plans and strategies, even if they are black- or white-hat hackers.
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