GlobalHell

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globalHell (known as 'gH') was an American hacker group. They were one of the first hacking groups who gained notoriety for website defacements and breaches. [1] The combined losses caused by the group were estimated to be ranged between $1.5m and $2.5m. [2] The group was called a "cybergang" as it had many of the same characteristics of a gang and carried out the same activities as a gang, including trafficking in stolen credit card numbers. [3]

Contents

GlobalHell
FormationFebruary 1998;26 years ago (1998-02)
FounderPatrick W. Gregory (MostHateD), Chad Davis (Mindphasr)
Dissolved1999;25 years ago (1999)
PurposeHacking
Membership (1998-1999)
20-25
Official language
English
LeaderPatrick W. Gregory (MostHateD)

Global Hell was more concerned with gaining notoriety for defacing prominent Web sites than with destroying or capturing sensitive information. [4] The members of the group were responsible for breaking and defacing around 115 sites. A few of the systems they broke into include those of United States Army, White House, United States Cellular, Ameritech, US Postal Service, NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [5] [6] The group disbanded in 1999 due to being prosecuted for computer intrusion. [2]

History

The group was founded by Patrick Gregory and Chad Davis in February 1998. Gregory was a member of a street gang who turned to cyberspace to escape from the gang. [7] [8] Between 1998 and 2000, the group's membership was estimated between 15 and 20. [9]

White House Website Defacement Whitehouse Website Defacement.png
White House Website Defacement

In April 1999, the group invaded computer systems operated by the White House, the U.S. Army, Ameritech, U.S. Cellular and several other companies. On May 2, 1999, hackers invaded the White House website and put a picture of flowered panties on its home page. [10]

On May 8, 1999, FBI agents arrested Eric Burns, known as Zyklon, charging him with multiple felony counts of computer intrusion, causing damage in excess of $40,000. On May 9, 1999, FBI launched raids that involved searches and questioning of suspected members of Global Hell. The group retaliated and defaced the White House Web site with off-color messages. [11]

On May 27, the group retaliated by flooding the FBI Web site with thousands of requests for access. The FBI was forced to shut down the site rather than risk damage to the computer server. Over the next week, members of Global Hell also attacked Web sites of United States Department of the Interior and Virginia Senate. [12]

FBI agents found two members of the group who were willing to talk. Through them and by searching computer records, they got the address of Davis's (Mindphasr) apartment. On June 2, FBI raided the apartment. Davis admitted that he was a member of Global Hell. On June 28, at 2:14 a.m., Davis gained access to the computer server housing the Army's Web site, and the home page was replaced with the a message "Global Hell is alive. Global Hell will not die". Davis was arrested on August 30, 1999, and he pleaded guilty on January 4, 2000. He received a six-month jail term and three years' probation. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,054. Davis was the first person to be arrested in this investigation. [13] [14] [15] [16]

Burns pleaded guilty to his charges on September 7, 1999. On November 19, 1999, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison and three years' probation, plus an order to pay $36,240 in restitution to his victims. Burns was prohibited from using a computer for three years. [17]

In December 1999, a 16-year-old member of the group reportedly compromised 26 companies, including a number of ISPs. When authorities tracked him down and confiscated his system, they found more than 200,000 Pacific Bell Internet user accounts of which 63,000 were already cracked. [18]

The group disbanded in 1999 as 12 participants in the group have been prosecuted for computer intrusions and about 30 more have faced lesser penalties. [19] [20]

On Feb 12, a hacker calling himself Coolio redirected visitors away from RSA Security's Web site to another hacked computer in Colombia, where he left a message "owned by coolio". [21]

On April 12, 2000, Patrick Gregory plead guilty to one count of conspiracy for "telecommunications fraud" and "computer hacking". Gregory also admitted to stealing codes that allowed him and others to create illegal conference calls. Those conversations were some of the most important evidence against gH members. On September 6, 2000, he was sentenced to 26 months in prison and had pay $154,529.86 in restitution. [22] [23] [24]

Members

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References

  1. ↑ "5 Cybercrime Groups Making Organizations Uneasy". www.cyberpolicy.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  2. 1 2 "Global Hell hacker to plead guilty, Part I". ZDNET. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  3. ↑ Marion, Nancy E.; Twede, Jason (2020-10-06). Cybercrime: An Encyclopedia of Digital Crime. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN   978-1-4408-5735-5. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18.
  4. ↑ Electronic Crime Needs Assessment for State and Local Law Enforcement. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. 2001. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  5. ↑ "Hacking Like it's 1999". Wired. 2006-08-23. ISSN   1059-1028. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  6. ↑ Harrison, Ann; Ohlson, Kathleen (1999-07-05). Crackers Used Known Weakness on Fed Sites. IDG Enterprise. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  7. ↑ "10 Grup hacker paling kondang sejagat, ditakuti dan dihormati!". Damailah Indonesiaku (in Indonesian). 2015-11-05. Archived from the original on 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  8. ↑ Erbschloe, Michael (2001). Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks. Osborne/McGraw-Hill. ISBN   978-0-07-213260-1. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  9. ↑ Sachs, Marcus; Parker, Tom; Shaw, Eric; Stroz, Ed (2004-07-09). Cyber Adversary Characterization: Auditing the Hacker Mind. Elsevier. ISBN   978-0-08-047699-5. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  10. ↑ Clark, David Leon (2003). Enterprise Security: The Manager's Defense Guide. Addison-Wesley Professional. ISBN   978-0-201-71972-7. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  11. ↑ Newton, Michael (2003). The Encyclopedia of High-tech Crime and Crime-fighting. Infobase Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4381-2986-0. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  12. ↑ Hack Attack. IDG Network World Inc. 1999-05-31. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  13. ↑ Suro, Roberto (2024-09-01). "The Hackers Who Won't Quit". www.washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  14. ↑ "Tips on Technology". Saipan Tribune. 1999-09-15. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  15. ↑ Ohlson, Kathleen (1999-09-06). Feds Arrest Teen Hacker. IDG Enterprise. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  16. ↑ Sine Pari. U.S. Army Special Operations Command. 1997. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  17. ↑ "MostHateD to Plead Most Guilty". Wired. 2000-03-29. ISSN   1059-1028. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  18. ↑ McClure, Stuart; Scambray, Joel (2000-01-24). Hacking frenzy shows network security breaches are not about to go out of fashion. InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  19. ↑ Auchard, Eric (4 March 2000). Hacker cleared of Yahoo attack, but hit other sites. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024.
  20. ↑ "Top 10 Most Notorious Hacking Groups of All Time". Cyware Labs. 2016-07-26. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  21. ↑ "´Coolio´ May Be Charged in Other Hacker Attacks". The New York Times. 2000-03-07. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  22. ↑ Federal Probation. Administrative Office of the United States Courts. 2000. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  23. ↑ Cracker Cracks. IDG Enterprise. 2000-04-17. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  24. ↑ "Cyber Attack: Improving Prevention and Prosecution" : Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism, and Government Information of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Second Session, on Examining how to Combat Cyber Attacks by Improving Prevention and Prosecution, Scottsdale, AZ, April 21, 2000. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2001. ISBN   978-0-16-064807-6. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Second "Global Hell" Hacker Pleads Gulity; Patrick Gregory Faces up to Five Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Telecommunications Fraud and Computer Hacking". 2000-04-12. Archived from the original on 2006-10-01.
  26. ↑ "Former Data Technician at Local Internet Hosting Company and Self-Admitted Supporter of Pro-Jihad Website Sentenced to 34 Months for Attempting to Cause Damage to a Protected Computer". www.justice.gov. 2006-08-15. Archived from the original on 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  27. ↑ "CTCSENTINEL" (PDF). COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER AT WEST POINT. 12 (4): 28. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-05-12.
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  29. ↑ Gallo, Facundo (2010-03-09). Inseguridad informática (in Spanish). Lulu.com. ISBN   978-1-4457-2054-8. Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Meeks, Brock (1999-09-06). "Global Hell says it's going legit". ZDNET. Archived from the original on 2017-03-23. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  31. 1 2 Poulsen, Kevin. "Veteran of 90's Cyber Gang GlobalHell Charged in Swatting Conspiracy". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028. Archived from the original on 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  32. ↑ "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. JASON NEFF" (PDF). 2010-09-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  33. ↑ "『サービス拒否』攻撃の少年容疑者が別の容疑で起訴へ". WIRED.jp (in Japanese). 2000-03-05. Archived from the original on 2024-05-19. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  34. ↑ Boni, William C.; Kovacich, Gerald L. (2000-09-25). Netspionage: The Global Threat to Information. Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN   978-0-7506-7257-3. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  35. 1 2 "FBI HACKS INTO WEB OF INTRUDERS". Chicago Tribune. 1999-05-29. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  36. ↑ "H a c k e r N e w s N e t w o r k". www.gbppr.net. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  37. ↑ "[gH] Alive as ever. [gH]". afturgurluk.org. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
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