'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]
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