Top 10 Most Notorious Hackers Who Shaped Cybercrime History

Top 10 Most Notorious Hackers of All Time

kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/top-ten-greatest-hackersFebruary 7, 2020

What Is Hacking?

Computer hacking is when someone finds and uses weaknesses in systems to get into them without permission. Not all hackers are bad. Some, known as white hat hackers, help keep systems safe by finding and fixing problems. Others, called black hat hackers, do it for harm.

There’s also a grey area where hackers might do it for political reasons or for both good and bad cyber purposes. Hacking costs a lot, with trillions lost each year. By 2021, it’s expected to hit $6 trillion, up from $2 trillion in 2019 losses.

The Rise of Computer Hacking

The rise of computer hacking didn’t happen quickly. It took years of work by famous hackers to find key vulnerabilities. They helped shape the internet’s free and open nature.

Top Ten Most Notorious Hackers

The following table summarizes key details about the top hackers:

Hacker	Notable Achievements	Key Details
Kevin Mitnick	Hacked NORAD & DEC networks	Started as a teen; later turned white hat
Anonymous	Disabled Scientology websites	Group from 4chan; focus on social justice
Adrian Lamo	Hacked Yahoo & The New York Times’ intranet	Known as “The Homeless Hacker”
Albert Gonzalez	Stole 180 million payment card accounts	Known as “soupnazi”; informant who breached TJX
Matthew Bevan and Richard Pryce	Hacked military networks	British duo; nearly sparked a third world war
Jeanson James Ancheta	Created a botnet infecting 400,000+ computers	Used bots for advertising; sentenced to 57 months
Michael Calce (Mafiaboy)	Disrupted university and major commercial sites	At 15, showed vulnerability of online data
Kevin Poulsen	Hacked ARPANET & Pentagon’s network	Used alias Dark Dante; later became a cyber security writer
Jonathan James	Hacked the U.S. Department of Defense	Youngest convicted hacker; known as cOmrade
ASTRA	Hacked the Dassault Group	Anonymous Greek mathematician; caused $360M in damages

Detailed Hacker Profiles

Kevin Mitnick

A key figure in American computer hacking, Kevin Mitnick started his career as a teenager.
In 1981, he was charged with stealing computer manuals from Pacific Bell.
In 1982, he hacked the North American Defense Command (NORAD), an achievement that inspired the 1983 film War Games.
In 1989, he hacked Digital Equipment Corporation’s (DEC) network and made copies of their software, making him famous.
He was later arrested, convicted, and sent to prison. During his conditional release, he hacked Pacific Bell’s voicemail systems.
Mitnick never misused the access and data he obtained and once gained full control of Pacific Bell’s network to prove it.
He fled for more than two years before being caught and served time for multiple counts of wire fraud and computer fraud.
Though Mitnick went white hat, he might be in the grey area. In 2014, he launched “Mitnick’s Absolute Zero Day Exploit Exchange” to sell unpatched, critical software exploits.

Anonymous

Anonymous started in 2003 on 4chan message boards in an unnamed forum.
The group is loosely focused on social justice and cybersecurity awareness.
In 2008, they took issue with the Church of Scientology and began disabling their websites.
This action negatively impacted their search rankings in Google and overwhelmed their fax machines with all-black images.
In March 2008, “Anons” marched past Scientology centers worldwide wearing the now-famous Guy Fawkes mask.
The lack of hierarchy makes it almost impossible to identify or eliminate Anonymous as a whole.

Adrian Lamo

In 2001, 20-year-old Adrian Lamo used an unprotected content management tool at Yahoo to modify a Reuters article and add a fake quote attributed to former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Lamo often hacked systems and then notified both the press and his victims.
Sometimes he helped clean up the mess to improve security.
In 2002, he hacked The New York Times’ intranet, adding himself to the list of expert sources and researching high-profile public figures.
Lamo earned the moniker “The Homeless Hacker” because he preferred wandering with little more than a backpack and no fixed address.

Albert Gonzalez

Gonzalez, known as “soupnazi,” started as a high school troublemaker and became a top hacker on Shadowcrew.com.
At 22, he was arrested for debit card fraud but became an informant to avoid jail.
As an informant, he continued his crimes and, with his team, stole over 180 million payment card accounts.
The New York Times Magazine notes that his 2005 attack on TJX was a major breach, earning him $256 million from TJX alone.
His crimes were described as “unparalleled” during his sentencing in 2015.

Matthew Bevan and Richard Pryce

This British duo hacked into military networks in 1996.
They accessed Griffiss Air Force Base and the Korean Atomic Research Institute.
Their actions were close to starting a third world war.
Bevan wanted to prove a UFO theory.
According to the BBC, their case is similar to Gary McKinnon’s, showing that even military networks can be hacked.

Jeanson James Ancheta

Ancheta focused on bots instead of credit card data or network crashes.
He created a large botnet in 2005, infecting over 400,000 computers.
Ars Technica reports he rented these machines for advertising.
He was sentenced to 57 months for using botnet technology.

Michael Calce (Mafiaboy)

In 2000, 15-year-old Michael Calce, known as “Mafiaboy,” took over university networks.
He disrupted Yahoo and other major sites like Dell and eBay with a DDoS attack.
His hack highlighted the vulnerability of online data and prompted governments to focus on cyber crime laws.
His actions raised questions about the safety of online data.

Kevin Poulsen

In 1983, a 17-year-old Poulsen, using the alias Dark Dante, hacked into ARPANET, the Pentagon’s computer network.
He was caught but not prosecuted because he was a minor, receiving only a warning.
Poulsen ignored the warning and continued hacking.
In 1988, he hacked a federal computer and accessed files on Ferdinand Marcos.
He went underground after being caught, hacked government files, and even won a Porsche in a radio contest in 1990.
He was arrested and banned from computers for three years.
Now, he writes about cyber security for Wired and his blog Threat Level and works on projects for social justice and freedom of information.

Jonathan James

Jonathan James hacked several companies under the alias cOmrade.
He was only 15 when he hacked into the United States Department of Defense, as reported by the New York Times.
In an interview with PC Mag, James said he was inspired by The Cuckoo’s Egg.
He accessed over 3,000 messages from government employees, including usernames, passwords, and other sensitive data.
James was arrested in 2000, sentenced to house arrest, and banned from computer use, later jailed for a probation violation.
He became the youngest person convicted of cyber crime laws.
In 2007, TJX was hacked and many customers’ private information was compromised, with suspicions that James may have been involved.
He took his own life in 2008, and according to the Daily Mail, his suicide note expressed his loss of faith in the justice system.

ASTRA

This hacker remains anonymous, unlike others on this list.
According to the Daily Mail, ASTRA was caught in 2008 as a 58-year-old Greek mathematician.
He had been hacking into the Dassault Group for nearly five years.
ASTRA stole advanced weapons technology software and data, selling it to 250 people worldwide and causing $360 million in damages.
His true identity remains unknown, and the name ‘ASTRA’ means ‘weapon’ in Sanskrit.

Conclusion

These top hackers had different goals. Some wanted to improve the world, others to prove UFO theories. Some sought wealth, others fame. Their work has shaped the internet and cyber security.

FAQs about Top 10 Most Notorious Hackers

Who is the king of hackers?

There is no official “king of hackers.” Many experts often mention Kevin Mitnick as one of the most famous hackers due to his high-profile cases, but no one holds a formal title as the king of hackers.

Who are the top 5 cyber criminals?

While opinions differ, some of the most notorious cyber criminals frequently mentioned include:

Kevin Mitnick
Albert Gonzalez
Michael Calce (Mafiaboy)
Jeanson James Ancheta
Kevin Poulsen

This list is subjective, and some individuals later reformed or are viewed differently over time.

Do hackers have high IQ?

Many hackers possess strong technical skills, creativity, and excellent problem-solving abilities, which might suggest a high IQ. However, hacking is more about persistence, practical experience, and continuous learning than just raw intelligence.

What is the greatest hack in history?

There is no consensus on the “greatest” hack, as its impact can be measured in different ways—such as scale, innovation, or financial loss. Some point to the massive TJX breach, while others highlight high-profile government or corporate attacks. The debate continues among experts.

What is the difference between white hat, black hat, and grey hat hackers?

White hat hackers work to secure systems, black hat hackers use their skills for harmful purposes, and grey hat hackers fall somewhere in between, sometimes breaking rules for political or ethical reasons.

Why does hacking cost so much?

Hacking leads to massive financial losses due to data breaches, system disruptions, and the costs of repairing security vulnerabilities in both businesses and governments.

How has hacking evolved over time?

Computer hacking evolved gradually through the discovery of vulnerabilities by skilled hackers. Their work exposed weaknesses in systems, which in turn led to improved cyber security measures and a more resilient digital world.