Adrian Lamo

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Lmp.jpg

Adrian Lamo (born 1981, in Boston, Massachusetts), is an infamous gray hat hacker best known–despite having no formal education in programming or computer security–for breaking into a series of high-security computer networks, and for his consequential arrest. Best known among these were his intrusions into The New York Times and Microsoft. He is also known for attempting to identify security flaws in computer networks of Fortune 500 companies and then notifying them of any found; while still illegal in most places without permission, this can be seen as a form of unsolicited penetration testing.

Contents

[edit]

Personal

Dubbed the "homeless hacker" for his transient lifestyle, Lamo spent parts of his travels squatting in abandoned buildings and travelling to Internet cafes, libraries and universities to investigate networks, and sometimes exploit security holes. Despite performing authorized and unauthorized vulnerability assessment for several large, high-profile entities, Lamo has refused to accept payment for his services. In the past, his lifestyle forced him to travel up and down the coasts of the United States, often by coach, carrying all necessary possessions in a backpack. Since his sentencing, he has expressed an interest in journalism, studying at American River College, with work appearing in Network World, Mobile Magazine, 2600 Magazine, The American River Current, and others.

[edit]

Activities and techniques

Image:Lamo-tss.jpg

Adrian Lamo is perhaps best known for breaking into The New York Times internal computer network in February 2002, adding his name to confidential databases of expert sources, and using the paper's LexisNexis account to conduct research on high-profile subjects, although his first published activities involved operating AOL watchdog site Inside-AOL.com<ref>Brown, Janelle. "Can AOL silence its critics?" Salon.com. July 1, 1999.</ref><ref>[1]</ref><ref>[2]</ref>. The Times filed a complaint and a warrant for Lamo's arrest was issued in August 2003 following a 15 month investigation by federal prosecutors in New York. At 10:15 AM on September 9, after spending a few days in hiding, he surrendered to the US Marshals in Sacramento, California. He re-surrendered to the FBI in New York City on September 11, and pleaded guilty to one count of computer crimes against Microsoft, Lexis-Nexis and the New York Times on 8 January, 2004. Image:Adrian Lamo, Fall '04.jpg

Later in 2004, Lamo was sentenced to six months' detention at his parents' home plus two years probation, and was ordered to pay roughly $65,000 in restitution. He was convicted of compromising security at The New York Times and Microsoft, and is alleged to have admitted to exploiting security weaknesses at Excite@Home<ref>Lemos, Robert. "Hacker helps Excite@Home toughen defenses". News.com. May 29, 2001.</ref>, Yahoo!<ref>[3]</ref>, Microsoft, MCI WorldCom<ref>[4]</ref>, Ameritech Cingular and has allegedly violated network security at AOL Time Warner, Bank of America, Citigroup, Mcdonald's and Sun Microsystems Template:Fact. Lamo's techniques are largely unpublished but articles on his alleged intrusions reflect fewer examples of technical skill than of unusual coincidence.

Critics have repeatedly labelled Lamo as a publicity seeker or common criminal, claims that he has refused to publicly refute. When challenged for a response to allegations that he was glamorizing crime for the sake of publicity, his response was "Anything I could say about my person or my actions would only cheapen what they have to say for themselves." When approached for comment during his criminal case, Lamo would frequently frustrate reporters with non sequiturs such as "Faith manages"<ref>[5]</ref> and "It was a beautiful day."<ref>[6]</ref>

At his sentencing, Lamo expressed remorse for harm he had caused through his intrusions, with the court record quoting him as adding "I want to answer for what I have done and do better with my life."<ref>Poulsen, Kevin. "Feds say Lamo inspired other hackers". The Register. September 16, 2004.</ref>

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

<references />

[edit]

References

[edit]

External links

{{Persondata |NAME=Lamo, Adrian |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American programmer and writer |DATE OF BIRTH=1981, Feb. 20? |PLACE OF BIRTH=Boston |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }}pl:Adrian Lamo lt:Adrian Lamo

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/Adrian_Lamo"