FBI’s Most Wanted Hackers

There is something about hackers and hacking that make people think of a life of excitement and adventure. People, in general, may be divided into different camps as to their opinion of hackers, which in turn, depends largely on one’s definition of what makes a hacker.

FBI’s most wanted Hackers

If we were to base our definition on the likes of the members of Anonymous and LulzSec – who have made the headlines in recent times – and identity thieves, then it not hard to see why the idea of hackers being on the dark side is a common perception. In fact, the FBI a special section for wanted cyber criminals. (Not that the FBI probably have their own “security experts” doing work on their side!)

For some light reading on a Friday, check out soem of FBI’s most wanted hackers (then and now).

Hector Xavier Monsegur

HECTOR XAVIER MONSEGUR

In this photo, the guy known “Sabu” does not look like a bad boy, does he? (How can you – with a half-eaten donut in hand?) Extremely intelligent, Sabu is a self-taught hacker. Associated with Anonymous, LulzSec, and Internet Feds, he is also known as Xavier DeLeon and Leon. Once themost wanted hacker by FBI, Sabu slipped up at some point last year and was arrested by the authorities. We probably don’t know half of what he has accomplished, but some highlights include:

• hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Fox Broadcasting Company
• hacking into credit card databases and selling credit card information to other hackers
• denial of service (“DoS”) attacks against the websites of Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal

What made Sabu a star in his circles? Apparently a rare blend of tech skills and interpersonal skills. A charming hacker; who would have thought?

[Photo credit: Fox News]

Björn Daniel Sundin

Björn Daniel Sundin, also known as David Sundin, is a Swedish “Internet entrepreneur” (I always have been wary about this term, and maybe Sundin is a good reason to continue being wary!) born in 1978. He is currently wanted by the FBI due to his humongous online scam which people from more than 60 countries fell for.

One million fake software products. Over $100 million worth of money involved.

His MO? Browser hijacking and false error messages. Criminally brilliant in its simplicity.

If you have any information about him, you might want to know there is a $20,000 reward up for grabs.

Tobechi Enyinna Onwuhara

Tobechi Enyinna Onwuhara might very well be one of the reasons Nigerians have gotten a bad rep for scamming people online – or at least trying to. While we all know we shouldn’t generalize, one can hardly deny that receiving email from a Nigerian prince elicits laughter more than anything else!

Onwuhara, while not a prince plays a key role in a Nigerian group which has been getting their hands on Internet databases to steal identities. Their MO involves getting access to the Home Equity Line of Credit of the stolen identities and then transferring money to accounts they control, both abroad and in the US.

He’s still on the run, with a $25,000 reward on his head.

[Image via logodatabases]