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The Cyber Crime Hall of Fame

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the do-they-get-cool-bronze-statues dept.

DigitalDame2 writes "Not all hackers are bad guys, but a few fall prey to the dark side and use their talents for evil — not good. In compiling this list of the craziest cyber crimes, PC Mag looked for a few things: ingenuity (had it been done before?), scope (how many computers, agencies, companies, sites, etc. did it affect?), cost (how much in monetary damages did it cause?), and historical significance (did it start a new trend?). Read on about famous hackers John Draper, Robert Morris, Kevin Poulsen, and others."

14 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Students by TechwoIf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Don't forget the MIT http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/09/1812256 students. After all, its not everyday one get censored by the government. Can't have those "hackers" releasing info.

  2. Anyone see something WRONG here? by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Vladimir Levin transferred a sum of $10.7 million to accounts in the U.S., Finland, the Netherlands, Israel, and Germany... sentenced to three years in jail, and ordered to pay $240,015 in restitution to CitiBank."

    "In 1999, David Smith released the Melissa worm... All told, the worm hit over 300 companies worldwide, including Microsoft, Intel, and Lucent Technologies, forcing them to shut down their e-mail gateways due to mass overcrowding and causing estimated damages nearing $80 million... After pleading guilty, Smith's prison sentence was reduced to 20 months..."

    "Jonathan James found out just how much the source code documents for the NASA's International Space Station are worth: $1.7 million... James received six months in prison and probation until he turned 18."

    "In February 2000, Calce launched a denial-of-service attack that struck 11 major Web companies... analyst estimates range as high as $1.7 billion Canadian (that's currently about $1.6 billion U.S)... handed a sentence of eight months "open custody," limited Internet use, a small fine, and one year of probation."

    " In 2001 and 2002, British hacker Gary McKinnon gained access to Air Force, Army, Navy, NASA, Pentagon, and Department of Defense computersâ"97 in totalâ"in a quest for evidence of flying saucers... Officials claim damages from his entry range close to $700,000... McKinnon is currently facing extradition to the U.S., which could mean up to 70 years in prison."

    Anybody spot a GLARING, COMPLETELY LUDICROUS issue here?
    Don't talk to me about Govt or National Security; He caused NO significant financial loss and caused NO national security issues past what was already there through inept administration.

    --
    Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
    1. Re:Anyone see something WRONG here? by FreeUser · · Score: 2, Insightful

      He's a terrorist.

      [Best Republican Redneck Drawl]
      Man's gettin' what he deserves! He should thank his lucky UFOs he's going to Federal Pound-me-in-the-ass Prison for 70 years, and not gitmo for life.
      [end Best Republican Redneck Drawl]

      Seriously, if there was ever a time to question the lack of proportionality in our post-9/11 Bushite anti-terror legislation, this is it. Unfortunately, the fact that the man in not from the US, and doesn't have a very powerful lobbying base in the US, probably means this particular injustice will have to run its course, along with many others, before anyone in America wakes up, smells the coffee, and starts to reclaim the country.

      If it isn't already too late.

      --
      The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
    2. Re:Anyone see something WRONG here? by Madball · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What I see is a comparison of several actual sentences and a theoretical maximum sentence. The two, at least in the US, tend to differ widely.

    3. Re:Anyone see something WRONG here? by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They want to make an example of McKinnon. Mess with the government and you'll spend the rest of your life in prison. Screwing with banks? Cause financial damage? Yeah, we'll give you hell for it. But screw with the government. Oh, you are SO going down. Nevermind that it's already been established that security on U.S. government systems is horribly inept to the point of being almost ridiculous.

      --
      My blog
    4. Re:Anyone see something WRONG here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Sometimes the attempt is punished even though there's no actual damage. Or do you think attempted murder should be a misdemeanor?

      There was no attempt. He fully succeeded in accessing the systems. The claim is that punishment doesn't reflect the severity (or lack there of) of the crime.

      Do you believe in capital punishment for streaking?

  3. I know it's a pet peeve by krgallagher · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Here is the quote:

    "Everyone wants to be the first at something and claim their spot in history; though being the first hacker tried for releasing a virus isn't exactly the sort of "first" Mom's going to brag about. In 1999, David Smith released the Melissa worm from a computer in New Jersey through a stolen AOL account."

    A worm is not a virus. Neither is a trojan. It drives me nuts when the media uses these words interchangeably. I usually forgive the likes of ABC, but you would think PC Magazine would get it right.

    --

    Insert Generic Sig Here:

  4. Re:history be judge by darkmeridian · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I agree. The TJX break-in that revealed the private information of hundreds of thousands of consumers was recent but also groundbreaking because it brought to the fore the importance of data security. Before TJX, IT budgets were probably being cut to make room for Sarbanne-Oxley compliance. After TJX got screwed, I'm sure IT security budgets went through the roof.

    --
    A NYC lawyer blogs. http://www.chuangblog.com/
  5. MafiaBoy by SirLestat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From the article: "then teenage super hacker". I'm sorry but downloading a script from the internet and being stupid enough to run it does not make you a super hacker.

  6. What? No NSA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    I think the Republicans and the NSA top the list.

    Surveillance of an entire "free" nation, and getting taxpayers to pay for their own oppression... Now THAT is the hack of the century!

  7. Re:Must be said! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Free Lamo

  8. Pengo? by gambit3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I was hoping to see Pengo, the East German hacker, but it seems history has forgotten about him.

    --
    Watch the Teaser Trailer for "The Lightning Thief" Her
  9. The dollar value of a human life? by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't see one fatality because of these "idiots" -- quoted because obviously some amount of intelligence is needed to pull off what they did.

    I don't think terrorism should be blown out of proportion, the way it often is in the US, but terrorists actually kill people.

    Are you saying that ten million dollars in damage is comparable to killing several thousand people? In other words, that the value of a human life not only can be measured, but that you consider it to be less than a thousand dollars?

    --
    Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
  10. From me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    and what you'll never know is the best of them all.
    CHRoNoÂÂ