12 Most Famous Hacker Groups in History
Key Takeaways
- Hacker groups exploit digital vulnerabilities to achieve goals ranging from financial theft to political activism.
- Notorious groups like Anonymous, Lazarus Group, and DarkSide have carried out massive hacks, reshaping how we view cyber threats.
- Advanced tools like malware and ransomware-as-a-service models are common methods used by different groups.
- Awareness and tools like Have I Been Pwned? are essential for individuals and organizations to safeguard against data breaches.
With exponentially more data being stored online than even a decade ago, hackers have more incentive than ever to create sophisticated attacks. A hacker group is a collective of skilled individuals collaborating to exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems, holding governments and corporations to ransom, and breaking into your private accounts.
Their motives range from political activism (hacktivism) and espionage to financial gain through ransomware or data theft. Some of the most common methods include phishing, malware deployment, ransomware attacks, and advanced persistent threats.
With more power than ever in the hands of a chosen few technically gifted hackers, it really pays to know the digital threat ecosystem. In this article, we’ll have a look at 12 of the most famous hacker groups in recent history and shed some light on their missions, methods, and the impact they’ve had.
12 Most Powerful Hacker Groups in History
1. Anonymous
- Location: Global
- Motivation/Mission: Hacktivism, social justice, and anti-censorship.
Anonymous is a decentralized collective, often symbolized by their Guy Fawkes masks. Their campaigns leverage distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, defacements, and data leaks to disrupt perceived injustices. While their motivations are often noble, their actions skirt the boundaries of legality.
Some of the biggest hacks carried out by Anonymous include:
- Operation Payback (2010): Attacks on organizations opposing WikiLeaks.
- Operation Tunisia (2011): Supported protests during the Arab Spring by taking down government websites.
- Ku Klux Klan Exposure (2015): Released personal details of KKK members.
The authorities have arrested multiple members of the group in different countries (U.S., UK, Australia, Spain, Turkey, and others) including journalist Barrett Brown. Despite that, the group’s activity continues, as new members continually join under its anonymous banner.
Fun fact: Sam Esmail was inspired by Anonymous when creating the hacktivist drama Mr.Robot.
2. Lazarus Group
- Location: North Korea
- Motivation/Mission: State-sponsored financial theft and espionage.
Lazarus Group operates under North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, using phishing, malware, and advanced persistent threats to target financial institutions. Furthermore, their stolen funds often support North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, making them a geopolitical concern. Despite sanctions, Lazarus continues to innovate, moving stolen assets through cryptocurrency.
The biggest hacks of Lazarus include:
- Sony Pictures (2014): Exposed emails and sensitive data, allegedly in retaliation for “The Interview”.
- Bangladesh Bank Heist (2016): Attempted to steal $1 billion but succeeded in securing $81 million.
- Axie Infinity Hack (2022): Drained $625 million from the Ronin blockchain.
In 2021, the United States Department of Justice indicted three members of the North Korean military intelligence agency for participating in Lazarus. The three in question were Park Jin Hyok, Jon Chang Hyok, and Kim Il Park.
3. DarkSide
- Location: Russia/Eastern Europe
- Motivation/Mission: Financial extortion through ransomware.
DarkSide epitomizes the rise of ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). By selling their tools to affiliates, they enabled smaller groups to execute sophisticated attacks. In addition, their biggest hit was the attack on the Colonial Pipeline in 2021. It disrupted fuel supply across the eastern US, extracting a $4.4 million ransom.
The Colonial Pipeline hack showcased DarkSide’s capability to disrupt critical infrastructure, sparking debates about the vulnerability of essential services. Though disbanded, their legacy persists in the tactics of successor groups.
For example, in April 2022, the FBI reported that some developers and money launderers for BlackCat had ties to two disbanded ransomware groups, DarkSide and BlackMatter. Some experts suggest BlackCat may be a rebranded version of DarkSide, known for the Colonial Pipeline attack.
4. LulzSec
- Location: Global
- Motivation/Mission: Exposing security flaws, often for amusement.
Operating for just 50 days in 2011, LulzSec became infamous for mocking victims while exposing major vulnerabilities. Their hacks combined technical skills with a flair for public spectacle. The biggest hacks by the group included:
- Sony Pictures (2011): Compromised over one million user accounts.
- CIA Website (2011): Conducted a DDoS attack as a prank.
What makes LulzSec interesting is that the group didn’t hack for financial gain. In their manifesto, released in June 2011, they revealed that they performed hacks just “for the lulz” and enjoyed causing mayhem.
Key members, including Hector Xavier Monsegur (Sabu), were arrested, but their antics remain a cultural milestone in hacking lore. Sabu helped law enforcement track other members of the group as part of a plea deal. As a result, this led to the arrest of four more members in 2012.
5. Fancy Bear
- Location: Russia
- Motivation/Mission: Political influence and state-sponsored espionage, linked to Russian military intelligence (GRU).
Fancy Bear is a Russian cyber espionage group and its methods include spear-phishing and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities. At the same time, their activities often align with Russia’s geopolitical goals, making them a major actor in cyber warfare. In addition, their sophisticated tactics and high-profile targets have placed them under intense scrutiny from Western intelligence agencies.
Some of the notable attacks carried out by Fancy Bear include:
- German Parliament Cyber Attack (2014): Fancy Bear is the main suspect behind the six-month-long attack that paralyzed the German parliament.
- Democratic National Committee (DNC) Hack (2016): Released emails during the US presidential election.
- Olympic Doping Scandal (2018): Targeted global anti-doping agencies.
In 2020, German prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Dmitri Badin. The FBI is also on the hunt for Badin since 2018 but so far they’ve had no success.
6. Conti Group
- Location: Eastern Europe
- Motivation/Mission: Ransomware attacks for financial gain.
Conti is a malware developed by the hacker group Wizard Spider and their operations demonstrated the devastating potential of ransomware. By using malware, they infiltrated networks, encrypted files, and demanded multimillion-dollar ransoms.
Conti’s ransomware model differs from typical affiliate setups by paying malware deployers wages instead of a share of the ransom. Moreover, they often use double extortion, threatening to publish stolen data, and, if victims refuse to pay, sell access to other threat actors.
Among many others, the Conti Group was responsible for the attack on the Costa Rican government in 2022, which caused a national emergency, crippling essential services. Later, in 2022, internal leaks revealed ties to Russian cybercrime networks and the group’s vast earnings, estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. A few weeks after the leaks, the group disbanded.
7. The Equation Group
- Location: United States
- Motivation/Mission: Covert cyber espionage, likely linked to the NSA.
The Equation Group is considered one of the most sophisticated advanced persistent threat actors ever identified, with strong suspected ties to the NSA’s Tailored Access Operations (TAO) unit. First discovered by Kaspersky Labs in 2015, the group has been active since at least 2001, conducting covert surveillance and cyber-attacks on a global scale.
Their targets include:
- Governments
- Military organizations
- Scientific institutions
Notable for its advanced techniques, the group developed malware capable of reprogramming hard drive firmware—a feat requiring access to manufacturers’ source code. In addition, back in 2010, they disrupted Iran’s nuclear centrifuges by exploiting Siemens industrial software.
In 2016, “The Shadow Brokers” leaked tools allegedly stolen from the Equation Group, including the EternalBlue exploit, later used in the devastating WannaCry ransomware attack.
8. Lapsus$
- Location: Global
- Motivation/Mission: Publicity and financial gain.
Lapsus$ is an international hacker group that employs social engineering, such as SIM-swapping, to infiltrate major companies. The group was active in a number of countries including the UK, Brazil, and others. They used different attack vectors to get access to the credentials of an employee and then continued with extortion.
They’ve leaked a lot of sensitive data and some of their high-profile targets included:
- Brazil’s Ministry of Health
- Okta
- Nvidia
- Samsung
- Ubisoft
- T-Mobile
- Microsoft
- Uber
- Rockstar Games
Their public taunts and brash claims drew attention, but arrests in 2022 curtailed their activities. Despite this, their tactics remain a wake-up call for companies to improve internal security measures.
9. REvil (Ransomware Evil)
- Location: Eastern Europe
- Motivation/Mission: Ransomware targeting corporations.
REvil’s RaaS (ransomware-as-a-service) model made ransomware accessible to other groups, amplifying its reach. Their tactics included stealing data and threatening to leak it unless ransoms were paid. Their biggest hit was the Kaseya Supply Chain Attack in 2021, affecting more than 1,500 businesses worldwide. Other notable targets include
- Harris Federation
- Acer
- Microsoft
- Ivenergy
The Kaseya attack highlighted vulnerabilities in supply chain security, leading to global calls for stronger cybersecurity frameworks. As a result of Operation GoldDust, involving Europol, Eurojust, INTERPOL, and 17 countries, law enforcement arrested five individuals linked to REvil and two tied to GandCrab ransomware. Lastly, these two groups were allegedly behind 5,000 infections and €500,000 in extortion payments.
10. ShinyHunters
- Location: Suspected Southeast Asia
- Motivation/Mission: Selling stolen data on dark web marketplaces.
ShinyHunters is a recent hacker group believed to have been formed in 2020. It focuses on database breaches, exploiting weak security in major companies. Moreover, their business model relies on monetizing stolen data, often causing significant reputational and financial damage to their victims. Their methods highlight the critical need for robust database encryption. Some of their biggest attacks include:
- AT&T Breach (2021 & 2024): Sold the information of 70 million subscribers. In 2024, they stole data from 110 million clients, forcing AT&T to pay a $370,000 ransom.
- Tokopedia Hack (2020): Claimed the data of 91 million accounts
- Microsoft Attack (2020): Stole 500 GB of Microsoft source code.
The group attracted the attention of the FBI and this led to the arrest of Sébastien Raoult in 2022. As a result, he was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $5 million in 2024.
11. The Dark Overlord
- Location: Global
- Motivation/Mission: Financial extortion through stolen data.
The Dark Overlord (TDO) is an international hacker group known for targeting industries like entertainment and healthcare, using stolen data to extort victims. They first gained notoriety on the dark web, selling stolen medical records and later targeting high-profile companies like Netflix and Disney.
In 2017, TDO leaked unreleased episodes of Orange Is the New Black and shifted to terror-based attacks, sending life-threatening messages to a Montana school district. Furthermore, by 2018, the group demanded $2 million in Bitcoin to withhold the release of hacked “9/11 Papers”.
Lastly, in 2019, member Nathan Wyatt was extradited to the U.S., and sentenced to five years for identity theft and extortion. Cybersecurity expert Vinny Troia later identified Canadian teenagers Christopher Meunier and Dennis Karvouniaris as core members, linking TDO to other hacking groups like ShinyHunters.
12. Evil Corp
- Location: Russia
- Motivation/Mission: Financial theft and fraud.
Evil Corp, also known as INDRIK SPIDER, is a Russian hacking group notorious for its global cybercrimes. Active since 2009, the group is primarily linked to the Dridex malware, a sophisticated tool used to steal banking credentials and execute fraudulent transactions. Dridex infiltrates Windows computers through malicious email attachments in Word or Excel, activating macros that download the malware.
In December 2019, the FBI accused Evil Corp of stealing over $100 million across 40 countries. Furthermore, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions against the group, prohibiting U.S. citizens from engaging in transactions with them.
In the same year, two alleged members were charged, with a $5 million bounty offered for their capture. Despite these actions, Evil Corp has continued operations, reportedly using off-the-shelf ransomware like LockBit to mask its identity and evade sanctions.
Who Is the World No. 1 Hacker?
The title of the most dangerous hacker often goes to Kevin Mitnick, a reformed hacker once dubbed the best hacker in the world. Known for infiltrating IBM and Nokia systems, Mitnick pioneered social engineering techniques. In addition, after serving prison time, he became a cybersecurity consultant, demonstrating the transformative potential of ethical hacking.
How Do I Know if My Data Has Been Hacked?
To check if your data has been compromised, tools like Have I Been Pwned? allow users to see if their information appears in known breaches. For example, the MOAB attack in 2024 exposed millions of accounts, underlining the importance of vigilance and secure passwords.
Closing Thoughts
Hacker groups demonstrate the vast scale of cybersecurity threats in today’s interconnected world. In conclusion, their operations highlight vulnerabilities in digital systems and emphasize the need for advanced security measures.
