Top 5 famous hacker

Julian Assange

Perhaps the most famous known hacker Julian Assange, whom most people know for creating WikiLeaks, began hacking at age 16, using the name ‘Mendax’. Assange then went on to hack various networks including NASA, Stanford University and the Pentagon. In 2006, he created WikiLeaks, a platform whereby news leaks and classified documents can be published from anonymous sources. In 2010, the United States government launched an investigation against Julian Assange under the Espionage Act of 1917. He is currently in a self-imposed “house-arrest” at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, in the fear that he might be extradited to the US.

Kevin Mitnick

A seminal figure in American hacking, Kevin Mitnick got his start as a teen. In 1981, he was charged with stealing computer manuals from Pacific Bell. In 1982 he hacked the North American Defense Command (NORAD), which inspired the 1983 film "War Games." In 1989, he hacked Digital Equipment Corporation's (DEC) network and made copies of their software. Because DEC was a leading computer manufacturer at the time, this act put Mitnick on the map. He was later arrested, convicted and sent to prison. During his conditional release, he hacked Pacific Bell's voicemail systems. Throughout his hacking career, Mitnick didn't exploit the access and data he'd obtained. While it's widely believed that he once obtained full control of Pacific Bell's network, Mitnik wasn't out to exploit the results, but wanted to prove it could be done. A warrant was issued for his arrest for the Pacific Bell incident, but he fled and was in hiding for more than two years. When caught, he went to prison for multiple counts of wire fraud and computer fraud. Mitnick ultimately went white hat, but according to Wired, in 2014, he launched "Mitnick's Absolute Zero Day Exploit Exchange," which sells unpatched, critical software exploits to the highest bidder.

Anonymous

Anonymous got its start in 2003 on 4chan message boards in an unnamed forum. The group exhibits little organization and is loosely focused on the concept of social justice. For example, in 2008 the group took issue with the Church of Scientology and begin disabling their websites, thus negatively impacting theirs search rankings in Google and overwhelming its fax machines with all-black images. In March 2008, a group of "Anons" marched passed Scientology centers around the world wearing the now-famous Guy Fawkes mask. As noted by The New Yorker, while the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have tracked down some of the group's more prolific members, the lack of any real hierarchy makes it almost impossible to eliminate Anonymous as a whole.

Albert Gonzalez

According to the New York Daily News, Gonzalez, dubbed "soupnazi," got his start as the "troubled pack leader of computer nerds" at his Miami high school. He eventually became active on criminal commerce site Shadowcrew.com and was considered one of its best hackers and moderators. At 22, Gonzalez was arrested in New York for debit card fraud related to stealing data from millions of card accounts. To avoid jail time, he became an informant for the Secret Service, ultimately helping indict dozens of Shadowcrew members. During his time as a paid informant, Gonzalez, along with a group of accomplices, continued his criminal activities and stole more than 180 million payment card accounts from companies including OfficeMax, Dave and Buster's and Boston Market. The New York Times Magazine notes that Gonzalez's 2005 attack on US retailer TJX was the first serial data breach of credit information. Using SQL injection, this famous hacker and his team created back doors in several corporate networks and stole an estimated $256 million from TJX alone. During his sentencing in 2015, the federal prosecutor called Gonzalez's human victimization "unparalleled."

Mathew Bevan and Richard Pryce

Targeting the over-sensitive nerves, what Mathew Bevan along with his alleged partner Richard Pryce did, could have triggered great many issues between USA and North Korea. The duo hacked the US military computers and used it as a means to infiltrate the foreign systems. The crucial contents of Korean Atomic Research Institute were dumped into USAF system. However, the contents were majorly relevant to South Korea and hence, less volatile. But this, nonetheless, could have led to a huge international issue.