Hacking and cracking

I'm writing this post, because of the recent events in Greece.

According to this article:

Greek police arrested an 18-year-old suspected of having hacked into the electronic systems of the FBI and Interpol, they announced Wednesday.

He reportedly also took over the computers of unsuspecting users, accessed their data and used it to obtain new credit cards in their names. A raid on his home turned up over 120 credit cards and thousands of euros in cash, police said.

He faces charges of computer fraud, forgery, illegal violation of privacy, and illegal weapons possession. The teen, who was not named, was arrested at his home in Athens, according to the Greek police electronic crime squad.

They seized computers and related equipment as well as flares, shotgun cartridges and a homemade incendiary device, they said.

Greek police said they had been seeking the youth for two years, after attacks that took place in February 2008 and February 2009.

U.S. and French authorities cooperated with the investigation, they said.

(If you ask me, this is the best way to get employed by FBI, CIA, MI6, etc. Even if you get caught, they should make you a (job) offer you can't refuse...just watch "Catch me if you can")

So, I want to take advantage of the situation and present the best hackers in the world (not my list, here is the source).:

Vladimir Levin

This Russian computer whizz became the first person to successfully hack into a bank in order to steal money. He was arrested in 1995 following the transfer of $10 million.

Jonathan James

Jonathan James became the first juvenile to be sent to prison for hacking, when at the age of 16, he cracked into NASA and DTRA computer systems.

Robert Morris

At the age of 23, Robert Morris unleashed the first Internet worm, when an experiment caused 99 lines of code to infect computers across the US. He was subsequently arrested and sentenced in 1990. 

David Smith

Wreaking havoc globally, David Smith’s malicious ‘Melissa’ virus spread to over 300 high profile companies, causing an estimated $400 million of damage.

Gary McKinnon

Having hacked more than 90 US military computer systems, Gary McKinnon was arrested and is currently undergoing trial for what the US Prosecutor called “the biggest military computer hack of all time.”

MafiaBoy

With his real identity kept under wraps due to his young age, MafiaBoy successfully hacked into a group of high profile websites, including eBay, Amazon and Yahoo.

Kevin Mitnick

With his high profile antics profiled in two movies, Kevin Mitnick made a name for himself as the most wanted hacker in US history after breaking into the systems of the world’s most top technology and telecommunication companies.

Kevin Poulsen

Dubbed “the Hannibal Lecter of computer crime,” Kevin Poulsen successfully hacked into the Los Angeles telephone system to ensure that he was the 102nd radio station caller, winning a brand new Porsche 944S2 in the process.

 

Timothy Lloyd

Becoming the arch nemesis of Omega Engineering in the process, Timothy Lloyd placed six lines of malicious code in their systems, deleting over $10 million worth of software in the process.

Masters of Deception

This renegade hacking group allowed access to private phone lines, using their methods to access the communications of the National Security Agency, AT&T, and Bank of America.