'A-Z' and Other Celebrity Hackers (Gallery)
You've probably never heard of A-Z, but you probably have heard of some of his handiwork. A-Z is a world-renowned hacker (profiled here in USA Today), who became rich and infamous by producing software for cyber-criminals. These applications allow the hackers to steal data and money, as well as hijack target computers.In his early career, A-Z spent time developing and spreading viruses around the Internet primarily for bragging rights, much like other young hackers. By 2007, however, he became a celebrity in the world of cyber-crime for creating ZeuS, a program that is quite adept at sneaking past security measures such as firewalls and anti-virus scanners. ZeuS has been used to steal log-on information for a Russian stock trading site, hold personal files for ransom, and steal sensitive information from online employment site Monster Jobs.
In 2007, A-Z partnered with a German gang on a heist of Hollywood proportions. A complex two phase scheme -- involving a customized version of ZeuS and thousands of infected PCs working in unison -- netted the unholy cyber-alliance an estimated $6 million.
A-Z is far from the first hacker to make himself famous (or, more accurately, infamous). It's an increasingly popular job, according to Nick Newman, a computer crime specialist, who told USA Today: "All you need is a computer, Internet access and programming skills, and now you have a viable career path in front of you."
And, if you check out our gallery of other notorious electronic criminal masterminds, you'll see that many of them parlayed their hacking experience into some pretty decent legit jobs when they got out of prison! [From: USA Today]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Star P @ Aug 6th 2008 10:11PM
Well they aren't smart enough to not get caught tho.
Ben @ Aug 6th 2008 10:29PM
Nobodies ever really heard of him until now other than the "A-Z" name..... Several of the known hackers from back in the day are striking it rich designing software to prevent hacks. So pretty much it's like having two lemonade stands.... one does one thing and the other tries to raise the bar a lil bit higher. It's actually good for business all around.With the exception of the person who gets hacked.Hahaha now all I got stuck in my head is a banjo showdown roflmao.
Roxanna @ Aug 6th 2008 10:26PM
They forget that for every ying is a yang. For every brainiac using their intelligence for scamming and stealing are 5 more using their case cracking thief catching skills with much more technology at their disposal. Crime pays but only for a while, and then you pay with lots of time behind bars with a cellmate giving you whooha up the hooha every night. LOL
Kelly @ Aug 7th 2008 12:09AM
Nobody ever learns not to do it again no matter how much jail time they get. Our jails are like a vacation for criminals. They have cable TV, 3 meals a day and the ability to obtain college educations. They could utilize their time in prison to catch up on their reading PC Magazine. Then when they get out, they've learned what not to do to get caught and how to better hack the next victim.
Chaz @ Aug 6th 2008 10:50PM
When these Hackers are caught really punish them,like give them some real hard time and maybe they'll think twice before they do it again. Of course some liberal judge will let them off. Can't win.
ptnli @ Aug 6th 2008 11:03PM
Thing is, their might not be so many of these types of idiots if we didnt give them the news coverage that the world does. If you do somethng thisstupid and you don't get the publicity, would they do it again and again. Are we not giving them a reason to keep doing it?
Cheryl @ Aug 6th 2008 11:50PM
What scum bags these people are...when they take money from large companies they are also stealing from their shareholders and their customs... the shareholders get less money from their stocks and the customers end up paying for the crimes via higher prices on goods or services. Either way it ends up coming out of someone's pockets and not the company's as a rule. I think they need to serve very long sentences for their crimes and shouldn't be rewarded with good paying jobs when they get out... that isn't right.
schmuckly @ Aug 6th 2008 11:56PM
when jerk-face steals $20,000, he steals a man's wages for a year. when jerk-face steals $800,000, he steals a man's wages for a lifetime. jerk-face may get away with it in this lifetime, but GOD will not forget. same goes for every other heinous cheat or criminal.
tarzan of concrete jungle @ Aug 7th 2008 1:01AM
Most of these guys got by with a slap on the wrist. Then society
rewarded them for their bad behavior by giving them jobs. Cyber-crime
where Id theft is involved should be a serious crime. The way this
article is written it leaves you with the impression that the crimes
these hackers committed was serious but not serious enough to serve
serious time over. I guess they beleive that their computer skills in
hacking would be more beneficial to society but the weight of how
serious the crime is seems not to be too important. Just another
assault on the morals and principles of a society gone mad.
Lars @ Aug 7th 2008 2:39AM
ZARAGOZA
Lars @ Aug 7th 2008 2:42AM
PETER
azeka3 @ Aug 7th 2008 2:47AM
You got to have something upstairs to pull off this stuff.
Lars @ Aug 7th 2008 2:51AM
You forgot to add PZ. He openly told me he does it all the time. (No wonder he had no problem quitting his job and not worked for as far as I know– about 10 months plus) and now says he's buying a house. Go figure~
Lars @ Aug 7th 2008 2:56AM
xmoxiex
Bill @ Aug 7th 2008 5:01AM
If someone came to my house late at night to steal from me, I would probably shoot them.
The sentence for someone stealing from me on my computer should be that they be sent to my house late at night.
SEAGULL5557 @ Aug 7th 2008 5:41AM
THEY DO HAVE IT EASY IN JAIL THEY GET EVERYTHING THEY JUST CAN NOT COME AND GO AS THEY WISH TO ME THEY SHOULD BE BACK THE CHAIN GANG IN ALL STATES AND MAKE THEM DO HARD TIME OUR TAX $$$$ IS PAYING FOR THEM TO SIT IN JAIL AND HAVE THE GOOD LIFE AND WE ARE ALL OUT HERE TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET