"The Teen Who Shook the CIA: The Biggest Cyberattack and an Unbelievable Ransom Demand"

You might think that the most dangerous weapon in the world today is nuclear power—but in reality, you’re mistaken. The weapon that is being used daily and whose impact could potentially wipe out entire countries from the map is cyber warfare, also known as hacking.

Hackers today are some of the most dangerous individuals on the planet. You might be surprised to learn that a country as powerful as the United States might negotiate with them—trying to appease them just to stop or prevent a cyberattack. To understand how powerful these people are, let me tell you a true story about a 15-year-old boy who managed to hack the most powerful intelligence agency in the world: the CIA.

And not only that—he demanded a ransom of 5 trillion dollars from the U.S. government in exchange for not leaking the data he obtained!

Back in 1955, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the first hacking operation in history took place—ironically, supervised by the same institution. The operation was simple, intended to test the feasibility of hacking in the first place. As it succeeded, further experiments followed, and studies were published warning of the dangers, calling for regulation and laws to govern such acts. And so, the concept of hacking began to spread and evolve over the years.

In the world of hacking, there are three main types of hackers:

1. White Hats – These are legal hackers who work with governments to protect systems from being hacked. They form what's known as cyber armies. Their tasks include building firewalls, developing anti-hacking software, and launching counterattacks on state enemies.


2. Gray Hats – Independent hackers who don’t belong to any political organization. They hack mainly for training or testing, and often collaborate with large corporations to identify security loopholes in exchange for large sums. For instance, JPMorgan Bank experiences around 600,000 hacking attempts daily!


3. Black Hats – The most dangerous of all. They launch attacks capable of paralyzing entire countries. One example is the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack in the U.S., which disrupted fuel supply in 18 states and caused losses exceeding $75 million.



And all of this is just the introduction to our main story—about the “Godfather of the Black Hats”, a child behind the largest cyberattack in U.S. history.

The story began in 2008, with a young American boy known as "Default." He was addicted to the video game Counter-Strike, and his father worked in the tech industry. His dad taught him some basic programming, and from there, the boy’s genius began to unfold.

"Default" started by breaking into nearby Wi-Fi networks. Through them, he accessed the personal computers of his neighbors. He later learned encryption techniques and developed complex protection systems—his computer once took 30 minutes just to unlock due to the intensity of its security!

Despite his extraordinary talent, he was rejected by the famous hacking group Anonymous, so he continued teaching himself. One day, he accidentally hacked a Canadian university's system and discovered financial data for over 400 students. He decided to erase their debts—totaling 9.4 million dollars!

In 2014, after the Danish government passed a law allowing humans to marry animals, a group called AnonSec launched a massive cyberattack on government websites. "Default," just 14 at the time, was the mastermind behind the attack, which eventually forced the government to reverse the decision.

That same year, "Default" and his British friend "Kraka" decided to launch a cyberattack on the CIA after a new law permitted surveillance on U.S. citizens. They met in Hong Kong and planned the operation.

Using a simple Google search, they found personal data for James Clapper, the Deputy Director of the CIA. With it, they hacked his email, changed the password, and accessed a vast trove of classified documents—including files about the Iraq War, Guantanamo Bay, and future American military strategies.

These documents were leaked through WikiLeaks, and they even mocked CIA Director John Brennan. They went so far as to call him personally and demand 5 trillion dollars!

The attack shook the United States. The military disconnected its nuclear missile control systems out of fear they’d be hacked next. Authorities had no idea who was behind it.

Eventually, "Default" was exposed when he drunkenly confessed his secret to a friend, who reported him. He and "Kraka" were arrested in 2015. Because they were only 15, they received 5-year sentences and were fined $145,000. Authorities also confiscated Default’s hard drive—which contained 1,000 Bitcoins (worth over $60 million today).

It’s said that the U.S. government recruited both boys after their release. Since then, no one knows their whereabouts. Even the widely circulated photo of "Default" is fake. People like them are considered walking digital treasures—recruiting them is a huge win for any country in the world.