These individuals or groups, whether white hat or black hat, have made headlines in the past. Some acted out of good intentions while others hacked for their personal gains or to harm others. Here, we present some of the greatest hackers who were exceptionally brilliant:

1. Julian Assange

Before his worldwide fame as the creater of Wikileaks, he was known as Mendex. At the young age of 16, he formed an ethical hacking group along with two other hackers. The group was called International Subversives. Assange was able to hack into the US Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin, NASA, and several other high profile targets.

He was finally caught in 1991 while hacking into Nortel. He was 20 years of age at the time. Assange pleaded guilty to 35 charges, but managed to avoid heavy penalties. This was owing to his disrupted childhood and a perceived non-malicious intent. He went on to become the public face of Wikileaks, an online entity that publishes leaked corporate and government documents.

2. Edward Snowden

Snowden used social engineering and a broken security poicy of the NSA to get access to the important files. He gained massive popularity when he revealed the NSA’s spying program. After coming out with his revelations, Snowden fled to Russia and got political asylum in the country. Apparently, the agency had been spying on regular Americans on a massive scale.

Snowden was working for the NSA as a system administrator at the time. So, he was able to access most of their top-secret files. No one was auditing him when he was engaged in the leaks. Whenever he was not able to get a document, he used the credentials of the ones who had access to it.

3. Kevin Mitnick

He is today the part owner and Chief Hacking Officer of Mitnick Security Consulting LLC. His first act of computer hacking was breaking into the computer systems of Digital Equipment Corporation. He was put in jail for 12 months and had a 3-year supervised release. However, he hacked into Pacific Bell’s voice mail computers even before he could complete the 3-year agreement.

He also succeeded in avoiding an arrest warrant released in his name for 2.5 years. He was on a hacking spree even while he was on the run. He used cloned cellphones to hide his location. Mitnick then gained access to some of the largest cellular and computing companies.

After getting caught, he served five years in prison. Mitnick was a hacker even before computers had become mainstream. When he was 15 in 1978, he had used counterfeit punch cards to get free bus rides that he wanted. He was able to do this with the help of dumpster diving and a ticket puncher.

4. Hector Xavier Monsegur

Also known as ‘Sabu’, Monsegur was one of LulzSec’s founders. This infamous black hat hackers’ group had stolen key information from government and corporate websites. The group did this mainly for entertainment, but he was eventually caught by the FBI. He was given the choice of turning an informant or going to prison. Monsegur chose to co-operate with the FBI.

He then continued hacking with his Lulzsec team and kept reporting their activities to the FBI personnel. As a result, other members of the group were also captured. Their group, Lulzsec, thus saw its end after all these arrests. Monsegur had to spend just 7 months in jail, as he cooperated with the authorities. He could have otherwise spent 26 years in jail, which was his original sentence.

5. Ehud Tenenbaum

Also known as ‘The Analyzer’, Tenenbaum was the head of a group of hackers in 1998 at the age of 19. This group had managed to break into the computer systems of several high profile organizations. They included the NASA, the US and Israeli military, and some US and Israeli universities.

To get the classified information, the group had installed backdoors. It was called the most systematic and organized attack by John Hamre. To capture Tenenbaum and his team, the US government assembled their agents. An investigation was started under the code name ‘Solar Sunrise’.

They managed to capture Tenenbaum and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2001. He was arrested again in 2008 for hacking into financial companies and stealing credit card numbers. This time he accepted a plea bargain for co-operating with the investigators.

6. Gary McKinnon

Gary McKinnon had hacked into 97 NASA and the United States military computers in 2002. The US prosecutors described this Scottish hacker’s act as the biggest military computer hack of all time. The incident happened just a few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

So, it wasn’t just a simple break-in. He halted munitions supply to the US Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. By doing this, he had caused some real damage to the US military infrastructure. McKinnon also left messages on the computers that taunted America.

After his arrest, it was found that he had Asperger’s Syndrome. He claimed that he was only looking for proof of UFOs, free energy suppression, and anti-gravity technology. His medical condition allowed him to avoid being extradited.

7. Jonathan James

James committed suicide in 2008 by gunshot to the head. In 2007, he was suspected of helping his hacker friends commit a massive computer hacking spree. This was to compromise the credit information of millions. He was raided by the Secret Service even after he had repeatedly denied his involvement. He shot himself as he believed that he wouldn’t get proper justice.

He had hacked NASA and obtained the source code for the space station’s life support functions. As a result, NASA had to shut down their computers for three weeks. They also had to spend $41,000 to patch the system. James was arrested for this act and he served six months in a federal correctional facility.

He had committed his first act of hacking when he was 15. James was caught while breaking into the BellSouth and Miami-Dade school system.

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The invaluable role of ethical hackers in corporate organizations cannot be overstated. Through their proactive approach, these experts identify vulnerabilities, assess security measures, mitigate threats, enhance incident response, and promote a culture of security.

By working alongside internal teams, ethical hackers significantly contribute to the protection of sensitive data. They also improve the overall resilience of corporate organizations in the face of evolving cyber-security challenges

Over the years, the ethical hackers have made significant contributions in helping such companies build strong online defenses. Now, let’s take a look at how these individuals help corporate organizations protect their sensitive data from cyber-criminals:

They identify vulnerabilities in the digital ecosystem

One of the primary responsibilities of ethical hackers is to identify vulnerabilities within a corporate organization’s digital infrastructure. By adopting the mindset of a potential attacker, these experts perform comprehensive security assessments and penetration tests.

Such tests help in uncovering weaknesses in the existing systems, networks, and applications. By thoroughly analyzing and testing the systems, ethical hackers help identify security gaps that could potentially be exploited.

They assess the effectiveness of the existing security systems

Ethical hackers play a crucial role in assessing the effectiveness of a corporate organization’s existing security measures. By conducting detailed audits, they evaluate the strength of firewalls, encryption protocols, access controls, and other security mechanisms.

This evaluation provides organizations with valuable insights into the robustness of their defenses. It enables them to rectify any weaknesses or flaws in their security posture.

They help mitigate potential risks

Rather than waiting for a cyber-attack to occur, ethical hackers adopt a proactive approach to curb this menace. They help companies identify and mitigate potential threats. By staying up-to-date with the latest attack techniques and vulnerabilities, they can efficiently anticipate potential risks.

Once this is done, they assist in developing strategies to counter them. Their proactive stance helps organizations stay one step ahead of cyber-criminals. This reduces the likelihood of successful attacks and potential damage.

They improve incident response

In the event of a cyber-security breach, ethical hackers provide invaluable support in incident response. Their expertise enables organizations to swiftly identify the source of the breach, contain the attack, and prevent further damage.

Ethical hackers collaborate closely with IT and security teams, sharing their insights and assisting in the forensic investigation. Their involvement helps organizations learn from the incident and improve their incident response capabilities. As a result, they can be better prepared for future security incidents.

The create cyber-security awareness in the organization

Ethical hackers don’t just contribute to the technical aspects of cyber-security. Such professionals also create a culture of security within corporate organizations. By conducting awareness training, they educate employees about common online threats and social engineering techniques.

They also educate people in the organization on the best practices for protecting sensitive information. This awareness empowers employees to become the first line of defense against potential online threats. It creates a security-conscious environment throughout the organization.

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They use a variety of techniques that range from social engineering to exploiting vulnerabilities in software and hardware. Here, we’ll try to understand some of the common techniques that hackers employ:

1. Social engineering

This involves manipulating people into divulging sensitive information. Hackers often use social engineering to gain access to online accounts and systems. They may use phishing scams, such as sending fake emails or messages that appear to be from a legitimate source. The user is taken to a fake website through a link and prompted to enter the login credentials. This information is then captured by the hacker.

There’s yet another social engineering technique called ‘pretexting’. In this technique, the hacker poses as a legitimate authority figure, such as an IT technician or a government agent. By using this identity, the hacker then extracts sensitive information from the victim.

2. Password attacks

They’ve become quite common in recent times. Hackers use password attacks to gain access to online accounts. Password attacks can take many forms, including brute force attacks, dictionary attacks, and phishing attacks. In brute force attacks, all possible combinations of characters are tested. This is done until the correct password is found.

Dictionary attacks involve using a list of commonly used passwords and trying them until the correct password is found.  In phishing attacks, users are tricked into disclosing their passwords. This is done through the social engineering techniques.

3. Malware

Malware is a type of software that is designed to harm a computer system or steal information. Hackers use malware to gain access to online accounts and systems. There are many different types of malware, including viruses, trojans, and ransomware. Viruses are programs that replicate themselves and infect other programs on a computer.

Trojans are programs that appear to be harmless but contain malicious codes that can be used to steal information. Ransomware encrypts the files of a victim and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. In a way, it is a form of malware. Hackers use different methods to distribute malware, including email attachments, infected websites, and drive-by downloads.

4. Man-in-the-Middle attacks

In such type of attacks, the hackers intercept communication between two parties. They can then eavesdrop on the conversations, modify the messages being sent, or even impersonate one of the parties. Man-in-the-middle attacks can be carried out through various methods. They include the use of fake Wi-Fi hotspots, rogue DNS servers, and phishing scams.

5. SQL Injection

Hackers can also exploit vulnerabilities in websites that use SQL databases. SQL injection involves inserting malicious code into a website’s input fields, which can then be executed by the database. This allows hackers to extract sensitive information from the database or even take control of the entire website.

Measures to enhance online security

It is essential to stay vigilant and use strong passwords, keep software up-to-date, and be wary of suspicious emails and websites. By taking these precautions, you can help protect yourself from the threat of cyber-attacks.

It is also essential to invest in robust cyber-security measures such as firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems. The right combination of preventative measures and security tools can help safeguard your online accounts and systems from online threats.

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