Top 10 hacking incidents of all time — instances where some of themost seemingly secure computer networks were compromised
Early 1990s
Kevin Mitnick, often incorrectly called by many as god of hackers, broke into the computer systems of the world's top technology andtelecommunications companies Nokia, Fujitsu, Motorola, and SunMicrosystems. He was arrested by the FBI in 1995, but later releasedon parole in 2000. He never termed his activity hacking, instead he called it social engineering.
November 2002
Englishman Gary McKinnon was arrested in November 2002 following anaccusation that he hacked into more than 90 US military computersystems in the UK. He is currently undergoing trial in a British court for a "fast-track extradition" to the US where he is a wanted man. Thenext hearing in the case is slated for today.
1995
Russian computer geek Vladimir Levin effected what can easily becalled The Italian Job online - he was the first person to hack into abank to extract money. Early 1995, he hacked into Citibank and robbed$10 million. Interpol arrested him in the UK in 1995, after he hadtransferred money to his accounts in the US, Finland, Holland, Germany and Israel.
1990
When a Los Angeles area radio station announced a contest that awardeda Porsche 944S2 for the 102nd caller, Kevin Poulsen took control ofthe entire city's telephone network, ensured he is the 102nd caller, and took away the Porsche beauty. He was arrested later that year andsentenced to three years in prison. He is currently a senior editor atWired News.
1983
Kevin Poulsen again. A little-known incident when Poulsen, then just a student, hacked into Arpanet, the precursor to the Internet was hackedinto. Arpanet was a global network of computers, and Poulsen tookadvantage of a loophole in its architecture to gain temporary controlof the US-wide network.
1996
US hacker Timothy Lloyd planted six lines of malicious software codein the computer network of Omega Engineering which was a primesupplier of components for NASA and the US Navy. The code allowed a "logic bomb" to explode that deleted software running omega's manufacturing operations. Omega lost $10 million due to the attack.
1988
Twenty-three-year-old Cornell University graduate Robert Morris unleashed the first Internet worm on to the world. Morris released 99lines of code to the internet as an experiment, but realised that hisprogram infected machines as it went along. Computers crashed acrossthe US and elsewhere. He was arrested and sentenced in 1990.
1999
The Melissa virus was the first of its kind to wreak damage on aglobal scale. Written by David Smith (then 30), Melissa spread to morethan 300 companies across the world completely destroying theircomputer networks. Damages reported amounted to nearly $400 million.Smith was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison.
2000
MafiaBoy, whose real identity has been kept under wraps because he is a minor, hacked into some of the largest sites in the world, includingeBay, Amazon and Yahoo between February 6 and Valentine's Day in 2000.He gained access to 75 computers in 52 networks, and ordered a Denial of Service attack on them. He was arrested in 2000.
1993
They called themselves Masters of Deception, targeting US phonesystems. The group hacked into the National Security Agency, AT&T, andBank of America. It created a system that let them bypass long-distance phone call systems, and gain access to private lines.Top 10 hacking incidents of all time — instances where some of the most seemingly secure computer networks were compromised
Early 1990s
Kevin Mitnick, often incorrectly called by many as god of hackers, broke into the computer systems of the world's top technology andtelecommunications companies Nokia, Fujitsu, Motorola, and SunMicrosystems. He was arrested by the FBI in 1995, but later releasedon parole in 2000. He never termed his activity hacking, instead he called it social engineering.
November 2002
Englishman Gary McKinnon was arrested in November 2002 following anaccusation that he hacked into more than 90 US military computersystems in the UK. He is currently undergoing trial in a British court for a "fast-track extradition" to the US where he is a wanted man. Thenext hearing in the case is slated for today.
1995
Russian computer geek Vladimir Levin effected what can easily becalled The Italian Job online - he was the first person to hack into abank to extract money. Early 1995, he hacked into Citibank and robbed$10 million. Interpol arrested him in the UK in 1995, after he hadtransferred money to his accounts in the US, Finland, Holland, Germany and Israel.
1990
When a Los Angeles area radio station announced a contest that awardeda Porsche 944S2 for the 102nd caller, Kevin Poulsen took control ofthe entire city's telephone network, ensured he is the 102nd caller, and took away the Porsche beauty. He was arrested later that year andsentenced to three years in prison. He is currently a senior editor atWired News.
1983
Kevin Poulsen again. A little-known incident when Poulsen, then just a student, hacked into Arpanet, the precursor to the Internet was hackedinto. Arpanet was a global network of computers, and Poulsen tookadvantage of a loophole in its architecture to gain temporary controlof the US-wide network.
1996
US hacker Timothy Lloyd planted six lines of malicious software codein the computer network of Omega Engineering which was a primesupplier of components for NASA and the US Navy. The code allowed a "logic bomb" to explode that deleted software running mega's manufacturing operations. Omega lost $10 million due to the attack.
1988
Twenty-three-year-old Cornell University graduate Robert Morris unleashed the first Internet worm on to the world. Morris released 99lines of code to the internet as an experiment, but realised that hisprogram infected machines as it went along. Computers crashed acrossthe US and elsewhere. He was arrested and sentenced in 1990.
1999
The Melissa virus was the first of its kind to wreak damage on aglobal scale. Written by David Smith (then 30), Melissa spread to morethan 300 companies across the world completely destroying theircomputer networks. Damages reported amounted to nearly $400 million.Smith was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison.
2000
MafiaBoy, whose real identity has been kept under wraps because he is a minor, hacked into some of the largest sites in the world, includingeBay, Amazon and Yahoo between February 6 and Valentine's Day in 2000.He gained access to 75 computers in 52 networks, and ordered a Denial of Service attack on them. He was arrested in 2000.
1993
They called themselves Masters of Deception, targeting US phonesystems. The group hacked into the National Security Agency, AT&T, andBank of America. It created a system that let them bypass long-distance phone call systems, and gain access to private lines.
