Biggest hacks of all times

SafeBytes Software

These are the people, places and incidents that made it to the top list of the biggest hacks of all time. They are notorious but also offer us important lessons on why we need to protect our computers and systems.

Jonathan James

It is shocking to think that this 15-year old made hacking history as the first juvenile to be trialed, found guilty and imprisoned for a naughty hack in the USA. It was in 1999 that this teen hacked into the Department of Defense, Miami-Dade School and Bell South. As a result of his activities, James was able to get the source code used to operate the International Space Station. Unfortunately James committed suicide in 2008, blaming the justice system.

Vladimir Levin

This Russian hacker managed to get his teeth into the Citibank system in 1995, helping himself to $10 million worth of funds. One of the most interesting things about this hack is that it did not hack the computer system but rather focused on the telecommunications system which involved customers giving out their banking information. The authorities were able to recover most of the money apart from a residual $400,000. Levin was sent to jail for three years and had to pay compensation of $240,000 to the bank.

Gary McKinnon

This hack took place between 2001 and 2002 and targeted up to 97 US military networks. The Scotsman would always leave a taunting message on his victim’s website telling them that their security was not up to scratch. Apparently McKinnon wanted to prove that UFOs really exist. Despite their best diplomatic and forceful efforts, the US officials were unable to extradite McKinnon for trial. Currently the former hacker has found new life as an SEO expert, charging up to $100 per hour for his services.

John McAfee

During his stay in Belize, McAfee had some distinctly un-hacky hobbies such as botany. Unfortunately for him some of his concoctions met the threshold for being psycho-active drugs. The police swooped and seized his equipment. This then started a wave of revenge hacks that targeted virtually all government agencies in Belize. Through his hacking, McAfee was able to unveil the corruption, sleaze, murder and money-laundering at the heart of the Belize administration.

When he was threatened with arrest, McAfee faked a heart attack and escaped the country. Unsurprisingly the hacker is keeping a low profile apart from the occasional shootout with the police.

Astra

This is not his real name but we know that Astra is a notorious Greek hacker who was able to penetrate the Dassault Group, a French aviation company. He would then steal weapons technology data for half a decade. The company lost more than $360 million as a result of the security breach. Astra’s name was never revealed even though he was caught in 2008 and sent to jail for six years. Apparently he was a 58 year old mathematician.

These guys are mean and super clever. Some of them have a warped sense of justice while others are looking for revenge. The things that unites them is the fact that they are the biggest hackers we have ever seen.