10 Greatest Hackers Who Did The Unbelievable

8. Jonathan James

Jonathan James hacked into NASA when he was only 16 years old. This is a monumental feat for someone so young, especially considering NASA is seen as one of the hardest things for someone to hack into. He was the first child to be incarcerated for cybercrime in the United States.

He stole defense secrets which are considered to incredibly valuable, and if he were an adult, he likely would have faced around 10 years in prison. NASA had to take desperate measures when he hacked them, and they even shut down the entire system just to stop him. This cost them $47,000.

He committed suicide in 2008 for fear of being convicted for a crime he did not commit. “I, honestly, honestly had nothing to do with TJX,” James wrote in his suicide note, “I have no faith in the ‘justice’ system. Perhaps my actions today, and this letter, will send a stronger message to the public. Either way, I have lost control over this situation, and this is my only way to regain control.”