In this episode of IT SPARC Cast - Top Ten, John Barger and Lou Schmidt break down the most infamous hackers and hacker groups that pulled off massive cyberattacks—then vanished into the digital shadows. From ransomware crews that crippled national infrastructure to lone wolves who sparked global panic, these digital outlaws left a trail of data breaches, financial chaos, and unanswered subpoenas.
We rank these groups and individuals by their impact on the world—based on the damage they caused, the secrets they exposed, and the fact that most of them never faced real consequences. You’ll hear about the Colonial Pipeline takedown, stolen NSA cyberweapons, hacktivist rebellions, and ransomware schemes that cost companies hundreds of millions.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:11 – #10: Weev (Andrew Auernheimer)
02:50 – #9: Mafiaboy (Michael Calce)
04:50 – #8: Egregor Ransomware Group
06:52 – #7: Phineas Fisher
09:05 – #6: FIN7 (a.k.a. Carbanak Group)
10:59 – #5: Anonymous
13:25 – #4: DarkSide Ransomware Group
16:01 – #3: REvil (Sodinokibi)
18:19 – #2: Shadow Brokers
21:28 – #1: Conti Ransomware Group
26:06 – Wrap Up
SEO Keywords:
top hackers, hacker groups, ransomware attacks, cybersecurity podcast, infamous hackers, Conti ransomware, Shadow Brokers, Anonymous hacks, cybercrime, IT security stories, DarkSide Colonial Pipeline, REvil Kaseya, top 10 hackers, IT SPARC Cast, cybercriminals who got away, ransomware as a service, most wanted hackers