Hackers... a legend

Hackers are a very diverse bunch, a group simultaneously blamed with causing billions of dollars in damages as well as credited with the development of the World Wide Web and the founding of major tech companies. In this very article I test the theory that truth is better than fiction by introducing you folks to some of the most famous nefarious hackers of all time to let you decide for yourself...! So read on...

ONEJonathan James:
James gained notoriety when he became the first juvenile to be sent to prison for hacking. He was sentenced at 18 years old. His major intrusions targeted high-profile organizations. He installed a backdoor into a Defense Threat Reduction Agency server. The DTRA iz an agency of the Department of Defense charged with reducing the threat to the U.S. and its allies form nuclear, biological, chemical, conventional and special weapons. The backdoor he created enabled him to view sensitive emails and capture employee username and passwords.
James also cracked into NASA computers, stealing software worth approximately $1.7 million. According to the department of justice, “The software supported the International Space Station’s physical environment, including control of the temperature and humidity within the living space.” NASA was forced to shut-down its computer systems, ultimately racking up a $41,000 cost. James explained that he downloaded the code to supplement his studies on C programming, but contended, “The code itself was crappy… certainly not worth $1.7 million like they claimed.”
Given the extent of his intrusions, if James, had been an adult he likely would have served at least 10 years. Instead he was banned form recreational computer use and was slated to serve a six-month sentence under house arrest with probation. However, he served six months in prison for violation of people. Today, James asserts that he’s learned his lesson and might start a computer security company. Good luck James !

TWO
Adrian Lamo:
Lamo’s claim to fame iz his break-ins at major organizations like The New York Times and Microsoft. Dubbed the “homeless-hacker”, he used internet connections at cyber cafés, coffee shops (interesting right?) and libraries to do his intrusions. In a profile article, “He Hacks by Day, Squats by Night,” Lamo reflects, ”I have a laptop in Pittsburgh, a change of clothes in D.C. It kind of redefines the term multi-jurisdictional.”
Lamo’s intrusions consisted mainly of penetration testing, in which he found flaws in security, exploited them and then informed companies of their shortcomings. His hits include Yahoo!, Bank of America, Citigroup and Cingular. When white head hackers are hired by companies to do penetration testing, it’s legal. What Lamo did iz not. When he broke into The New York Times’ intranet, things got serious. He added himself to a list of experts and viewed personal information on contributors, including Social Security numbers. Lamo also hacked into The Times’ LexisNexis account to research high-profile subject matter. For him intrusion at The New York Times, Lamo was ordered to pay approximately $65,000 in restitution. He was also sentenced to six months of home confinement and two years of probation, which expired January 2007. Lamo iz currently working as an award-winning journalist and public speaker. Hats off to ya Lamo...

THREE
Kevin Mitnick:
A self-proclaimed “hacker poster boy”, Mitnick went through a highly publicized pursuit by authorities. His mischief was hyped by the media but his actual offences may be less notable than his notoriety suggests. The Department of Justice describes him as “the most wanted computer criminal in United States history”. His exploits were detailed in two movies: Freedom Downtime and Takedown.
Mitnick had a bit of hacking experience before committing the offences that made him famous. He started out exploiting the Los Angeles bus punch card system to get free rides. Then, like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, dabbled in phone phreaking. Although, there were numerous offences, Mitnick was ultimately convicted fro breaking into the Digital Equipment Corporation’s computer network and stealing software.
Mitnick’s mischief got serious when he went on a two and half year “coast-to-coast hacking spree.” The CNN article, “Legendary computer hacker releazed from prison”, explains that “he hacked into computers, stole corporate secrets, scrambled phone networks and broke into the national defense warning system.” He then hacked into computer expert and fellow hacker Tsutomu Shimomura’s home computer, which led to his undoing. Today, Mitnick has been able to move past his role as a black hat hacker and become a productive member of society. He served five years, about 8 months of it in solitary confinement, and iz now a computer security consultant, author and speaker. Carry on dude ..