List of cybercriminals

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Convicted computer criminals are people who are caught and convicted of computer crimes such as breaking into computers or computer networks.[1] Computer crime can be broadly defined as criminal activity involving information technology infrastructure, including illegal access (unauthorized access), illegal interception (by technical means of non-public transmissions of computer data to, from or within a computer system), data interference (unauthorized damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data), systems interference (interfering with the functioning of a computer system by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or suppressing computer data), misuse of devices, forgery (or identity theft) and electronic fraud.[2]

Three dark-haired men wearing dark clothing. The man on the left is wearing a checkered shirt with a rain jacket. The man in the middle is wearing a printed tee with a rain jacket. The man on the right is wearing a black sweater.
Hacker Adrian Lamo (left) with Kevin Mitnick and Kevin Poulsen
Dark-haired man with unkempt hair. He is wearing a red shirt. A silver chain around his neck and an earring in his left ear can be seen.
Mark Abene, who was convicted of computer charges

In the infancy of the hacker subculture and the computer underground,[3] criminal convictions were rare because there was an informal code of ethics that was followed by white hat hackers[broken anchor].[4] Proponents of hacking claim to be motivated by artistic and political ends, but are often unconcerned about the use of criminal means to achieve them.[5] White hat hackers break past computer security for non-malicious reasons and do no damage, akin to breaking into a house and looking around.[6] They enjoy learning and working with computer systems, and by this experience gain a deeper understanding of electronic security.[6] As the computer industry matured, individuals with malicious intentions (black hats) would emerge to exploit computer systems for their own personal profit.[6]

Convictions of computer crimes, or hacking, began as early as 1984 with the case of The 414s from the 414 area code in Milwaukee. In that case, six teenagers broke into a number of high-profile computer systems, including Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Security Pacific Bank. On May 1, 1984, one of the 414s, Gerald Wondra, was sentenced to two years of probation.[7] In May 1986, the first computer trespass conviction to result in a jail sentence was handed down to Michael Princeton Wilkerson, who received two weeks in jail for his infiltration of Microsoft, Sundstrand Corp., Kenworth Truck Co. and Resources Conservation Co.[8]

In 2006, a prison term of nearly five years was handed down to Jeanson James Ancheta, who created hundreds of zombie computers to do his bidding via giant bot networks or botnets.[9] He then sold the botnets to the highest bidder, who in turn used them for denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.[10]

As of 2012, the longest sentence for computer crimes is that of Albert Gonzalez for 20 years.[11] The next longest sentences are those of 13 years for Max Butler,[12] 108 months for Brian Salcedo in 2004 and upheld in 2006 by the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals,[13][14] and 68 months for Kevin Mitnick in 1999.[15]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Crackdown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Paul Taylor (1999). Hackers: Crime in the Digital Sublime (November 3, 1999 ed.). Routledge; 1 edition. p. 200. ISBN 0-415-18072-4.
  3. ^ Steve Mizrach (2009). "The electronic discourse of the computer underground". Florida International University. Retrieved May 10, 2009. Gordon Meyer, a sociologist who has since left academia but continues to be involved in the computer industry (and to publish the Computer Underground Digest), wrote in his seminal paper The Social Organization of the Computer Underground that the "computer underground consists of actors in three roles – computer hackers, phone phreaks, and software pirates."
  4. ^ "Interview with Chris Davis". Public Broadcasting Service. 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  5. ^ Brian Blomquist (May 29, 1999). "FBI'S web site socked as hackers target feds". New York Post. Retrieved May 8, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ a b c Andrew Brandt (April 2, 2001). "Hacker Speak". PC World. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  7. ^ "Computer User Sentenced". The New York Times. May 1, 1984. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  8. ^ Emery, Julie (7 May 1986). "Light jail term for young hacker". The Seattle Times.
  9. ^ pg 26—Richard Gissel (2005). Digital Underworld (August 23, 2005 ed.). Lulu. p. 222. ISBN 1-4116-4423-9.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference CNET_2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Zetter, Kim (March 25, 2010). "TJX Hacker Gets 20 Years in Prison". Wired. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  12. ^ Poulsen, Kevin (February 12, 2010). "Record 13-Year Sentence for Hacker Max Vision". Wired. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  13. ^ "Hacker Sentenced to Prison for Breaking into Lowe's Companies' Computers with Intent to Steal Credit Card Information". cybercrime.gov. December 15, 2004. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  14. ^ "Crazy-Long Hacker Sentence Upheld". Wired. July 11, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  15. ^ "Kevin Mitnick Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison". cybercrime.gov. August 9, 1999. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.