In the realm of cyber war, ethical hacking, or digital crime, the globe has seen many of the brilliant and well-known minds in technology time. This list of most successful hackers around the globe showcases people who have left their mark as villains or heroes or somewhere in between.
Who Are the Top Hackers in the World?
From compromising military systems to securing multinational corporations, hackers have changed the way in which the world perceives cybersecurity.
1. Kevin Mitnick (USA)
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The most wanted criminal within the U.S.
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Hacked into Nokia, IBM, and Pentagon systems
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Later, I became an white-hat hacker and security consultant
2. Anonymous (Global Collective)
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A decentralized group and not an individual
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Popular due to DDoS attack on corporate and government websites
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Participated in operations such as Operation #OpISIS and #OpRussia.
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They are famous by their iconic Guy Fawkes Mask symbol
3. Adrian Lamo (USA)
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Infiltrated The New York Times, Microsoft, and Yahoo
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Later, it was reported by Chelsea Manning to authorities
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He is known as ” the homeless hacker” for his nomadic life style
4. Gary McKinnon (UK)
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Hacked into NASA and Pentagon computers
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The search was allegedly for UFO-related documents
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Afraid of extradition to U.S. but was saved by the UK government due to human rights concerns
5. Albert Gonzalez (USA)
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Mastermind is the brain behind one of the largest fraudulent credit cards
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Stolen more than 170 million numbers from credit cards
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A group of people named “ShadowCrew”
6. Jeanson James Ancheta (USA)
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Expertise for botnets–networks of computers infected with malware
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Access to these was granted for sending out spam and DDoS attacks
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First hacker to be found guilty of making money by using botnets
7. Kevin Poulsen (USA)
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The company took control of the phone lines to win the radio contest.
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Hacked into FBI systems
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Now, a reporter and editor for Wired Magazine
8. Guccifer 2.0 (Russia-linked)
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Said it was responsible for DNC leaks
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The theory is that it has ties in some way to Russian Intelligence (GRU)
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A part in the election of 2016 in the U.S. elections
Ethical Hackers (White Hats) Making a Difference
While the majority of hackers are in the shadows, a few make use of their abilities in order to help defend and defend:
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Tsutomu Shimomura – Helped locate Kevin Mitnick
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Marcus Hutchins (MalwareTech) – Resisted the WannaCry ransomware attack
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Buffer bounty hunters like the ones who work at HackerOne Earn money by identifying weaknesses in the major platforms
Why This Matters
As cyber-attacks continue to grow, knowing the top hackers around the world will help increase awareness of:
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Cybersecurity best practices
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The distinction between black-hat and white-hat hacking
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The global effects of digital war
Find out more about ethical hacking as well as security in the digital world on artkerala.com.
Final Thoughts
In spite of their fame or fear or praised, the most prominent hackers around the globe have shaped the cyber world in powerful ways. Their stories serve as warnings for the future and motivation for the future generation of cybersecurity experts.
