The Top 10 Most Notorious Hackers in History

Throughout the decades-long history of computer hacking, there have been numerous individuals who've left an indelible mark on this high-stakes world. From mastermind cyber-thieves to brilliant hacktivists, these ten hackers are widely regarded as some of the most notorious figures ever to wield a keyboard.

1. Kevin Mitnick

Often referred to as 'the most wanted man in the history of computer crime,' American hacker and security consultant Kevin David Mitnick is undoubtedly one of the most infamous names associated with hacking. With an illustrious career that spanned several decades, Mitnick's exploits began at just 15 years old when he was charged for stealing multiple sets of valuable computer manuals from Pacific Bell in California.

Mitnick continued to push the boundaries throughout his teens and early twenties, eventually landing himself behind bars on charges related to hacking into the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) mainframe. His greatest achievement however came just a year later when Mitconk successfully broke into the North American Defense Command's (NORAD) computer systems in 1988 - an audacious hack that would go down in history and inspire the iconic movie 'WarGames' released two years later.

2. Gary McKinnon

Scottish-American hacker Gary Mckinnum, better known by his handle 'Solo,' is another name synonymous with cyber-crime. Arrested on suspicion of hacking into several high-profile targets including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), McKinnutpleaded guilty to 13 counts of unauthorized access in 2008.

McKinnon claimed he had acted alone, motivated by a desire 'to expose the truth' about alleged cover-ups within the US government regarding extraterrestrial life. Regardless of his motivations however, McKinnum's daring hacks cemented him firmly alongside other all-time hacking legends.

3. Adrian Lamo

Arguably one of history's most enigmatic hackers, American hacktivist and journalist Adrian John Lamo gained notoriety for breaking into the personal email account of then-Private First Class Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley) in 2010.

Lamo subsequently passed on classified US military documents to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, which were later released by Wikileaks as part of the massive 'Chelsea Manning leaks.' The leak revealed sensitive information about ongoing conflicts including details surrounding the Iraq War and Afghanistan conflict.

4. Matthew Hutter

American hacker and hacktivist Matthew David Hatter (also known online under various aliases such as 'matrix' or simply 'matrix') rose to infamy after successfully breaching several major corporations including Citigroup, Bank of America's subsidiary E*TRADE Financial Corp., Heartland Payment Systems Inc., TJX Companies Inc. operating the popular retail store chain Target.

5. Adrian Lamo

Arguably one of history's most enigmatic hackers, American hacktivist and journalist Adrian John Lamo gained notoriity for breaking into the personal email account of then-Private First Class Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley) in 2010.

6. Kevin Mitnick

Often referred to as 'the most wanted man in the history of computer crime,' American hacker and security consultant Kevin David Mitckin is undoubtedly one of the most infamous names associated with hacking.

7. Gary McKinnon

Scottish-American hacker Gary Mckinnum, better known by his handle 'Solo,' was arrested on suspicion of hacking into several high-profile targets including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

8. Matthew Hutter

American Hacker And Hacktivist Mattew David Hatter rose to infamy after successfully breaching multiple major corporations.

9. Adrian Lamo

Arguably one of history's most enigmatic hackers, American hacktivists journalist Adrian John Lamo gained notoriety for breaking into the personal email account of then-Private First Class Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley) in 2010.

10. Kevin Mitnick

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