Episode #3 – The Thrill of Cybercrime: Alberto Gonzalez’s Digital Desperado Story

Digital Desperados

It seems that Alberto Gonzalez has always been a thrill seeker. From hacking into NASA at just 14 years old to eventually working as a government spy, Gonzalez seemed to have a love for getting into trouble. From his early hacking days, he began collecting, using, and selling credit card information, which he continued to do throughout his life of crime.

Even though he was caught, arrested, and worked as a government spy in the hacking community, Gonzalez still went back to organizing and executing cyber-attacks that stole millions of credit and debit card numbers. This was probably needed because of the lavish lifestyle he’d become accustomed to, which included drugs, luxury cars, posh hotels, and parties.

Being back on the government’s cybercrime radar, it only took Alberto one slip-up to get caught and lose it all. To this day, he’s serving a prison sentence for multiple company breaches that he orchestrated. When asked about why he committed these crimes, he’s quoted saying, “Whatever morality I should have been feeling was trumped by the thrill.”

This story shows just how easy it can be for hackers to access your information at airports, cafes, and the like, if you don’t have a 24/7 VPN on your device. Safernet makes it extremely difficult for cybercriminals to access your computer, tablet, and phone. Get protected today!