Jonathan James
American hacker Jonathan James gained notoriety for being the country’s first child to be imprisoned for hacking. He shot himself in the head in 2008, ending his life.
He broke the password of a NASA server in 1999, when he was 16 years old, and used the access to many computers to steal sensitive data, including the source code for the International Space Station.
Kevin Mitnick
Computer security expert and author Kevin Mitnick breaches his clients’ organisations to reveal their security advantages, disadvantages, and possible vulnerabilities.
The FBI “Most Wanted” poster featuring his image is the first to include a hacker. In the past, he was the most sought-after computer criminal in American history.
He deftly got beyond corporate security measures from the 1970s until his last arrest in 1995, breaking into some of the most heavily guarded systems including those of Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation, Motorola, Netcom, and Nokia.
Ian Murphy
Ian Murphy, popularly known as Captain Zap, once hired high school students to help him steal computer equipment. According to Ian, he was “the first hacker ever found guilty of a crime.”
In 1986, after he and his unemployed wife decided to start a business, Ian created his vocation as a master hacker.
His background of online and computer fraud is extensive. Sending out third-party threat letters and forging email headers are two of his favorite hobbies.
Linus Trovalds
One of the greatest hackers of all time is thought to be Linus Torvalds. He became well-known by developing Linux, the widely used Unix-based operating system. The Linux kernel was developed by thousands of developers and is an open source operating system. Torvalds is still the last say in what new code gets added to the base Linux kernel, though. About 2% of the Linux kernel as of 2006 was written by Torvalds personally.
By creating the best operating system in the world, he simply wants to be straightforward and have fun. Torvalds earned honorary doctorates from the Universities of Helsinki and Stockholm.
Mark Abene
Information security specialist Mark Abene is also an entrepreneur who goes by the alias Phiber Optik. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he was a well-known hacker. He was one of the first hackers to discuss ethical hacking openly and advocate its advantages as a tool for business.
Penetration tests, on-site security evaluations, secure code reviews, security policy formulation and review, systems and network architecture, systems administration, and network management are just a few of the areas in which he is an expert. Among his clients are American Express, KPMG, Ernst & Young, First USA, and UBS.
Gary McKinnon
A well-known systems administrator and hacker is Gary McKinnon. Famously, he was charged with carrying out the “largest military computer hack of all time.” He had been able to break into the Army, Air Force, Navy, and NASA systems of the US government.
He has frequently stated in interviews with the media that his primary goal was to look for UFO, antigravity, and “free energy” proof that might be of interest to the general public.
