Hackers: Code & Chaos | National Media Archive

In May 2021, the Colonial Pipeline, the largest refined oil pipeline in the US, was crippled by a ransomware attack exploiting weak VPN security and leaked credentials. The hack led to fuel shortages, panic buying, and a $4.4M ransom payment. Despite partial ransom recovery by the FBI, the incident exposed major gaps in US critical infrastructure cybersecurity. Two years on, cyber threats to essential systems persist, with little m...

There’s something thrilling about watching a kid stare down a billion-dollar corporation and win. It’s the kind of story Silicon Valley pretends to celebrate—until it doesn’t.

This episodes is part of the National Media Archive. 

Before it became a badge of honor to disrupt, before venture-backed startups turned words like “hacker” into corporate slogans, there was a teenager in New Jersey with a screwdriver, a guitar pick, and an ...

David Pokora wasn’t the kind of kid who had to try very hard to get into trouble. By the age of three, he wasn’t reading stories — he was playing first-person shooters with more grace than most adults could manage with a controller. He wasn't interested in the aliens or the explosions. What grabbed him was the feeling. Press a key, make something happen. Left-click, and pixels obey. It was a language. One he understood fluently bef...

By age fourteen, he'd joined a basic hacking forum centered around chaos on MSN Messenger, the once-ubiquitous instant messaging service.

There, kids swapped code like other kids traded Pokémon cards.

Worms disguised as images.

Keyloggers wrapped in innocent-looking apps.

At first, Marcus didn’t understand what half of it did.

But he was curious.

Curious enough to write his own password stealer — code that could extract...

AI-driven hacking is rapidly approaching, with systems able to exploit vulnerabilities faster and in ways humans may not anticipate. As demonstrated in competitions like the Cyber Grand Challenge, AI can already find creative solutions outside human logic. Experts warn that soon, fully automated AI hackers could threaten financial, political, and social systems, requiring new, agile defenses. Ironically, AI may also be key to safeg...

Vladislav Klyushin, a wealthy Russian IT company owner, was convicted of wire fraud, unauthorized computer access, and securities fraud for leading a scheme that hacked U.S. computer networks to steal insider information from companies like Microsoft and Tesla. The group used the data to make nearly $90 million in illicit stock trades. 

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Red Golf, a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group closely linked to APT-41, has been highly active globally, targeting various industries like aviation, government, IT, and media. Security researchers identified infrastructure and malware, including the KeyPlug backdoor, used in cyber-espionage campaigns. While China denies involvement, evidence suggests Red Golf rapidly exploits new vulnerabilities and remains a persistent global ...

Popular YouTuber Linus Tech Tips was hacked, resulting in his channels being used to promote crypto scams and his videos deleted. The breach occurred after a team member downloaded malware disguised as a sponsorship PDF, giving hackers access to browser data and session tokens. The incident highlights the need for better security protocols, improved disaster response, and stricter YouTube authentication measures to prevent such att...

At age 15, Michael Calce, aka 'MafiaBoy', launched massive cyberattacks in 2000, crippling major sites like Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon, causing $1.7 billion in damages. Raised in Montreal, he learned hacking young, joined an elite group, and used social engineering to gain access. Eventually caught, he served 8 months in youth detention. Today, Calce is a reformed hacker, cybersecurity entrepreneur, and advocate for internet safety. 

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