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Ctrl+Alt+Chaos

How Teenage Hackers Hijack the Internet

Author
Joe Tidy

Synopsis

Ctrl+Alt+Chaos is a gripping true crime narrative about the life and crimes of Julius Kivimaki, aka Zeekill, arguably the most hated hacker in history. Cyber correspondent Joe Tidy has investigated and interviewed the most infamous teenage hacker gangs of the past decade for the BBC, and previously for Sky News. Now he unveils the dark digital underbelly where teenage boys are reshaping cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, and organised crime under the noses of their parents. Kivimaki’s journey from 12-year-old nuisance hacker to a Most Wanted cybercriminal culminated in his 2023 capture for the cruellest hack in history – where he blackmailed 30,000 Finnish psychotherapy patients with their stolen notes. Kivimaki’s journey gives us vital insights into how hackers are created online. Joe tracks the rise and fall of groups like LulzSec, HTP, UG Nazi, and Lizard Squad with exclusive interviews with the hackers who were there and the police officers trying to stop them. He also draws parallels with recent high-profile attacks from other teenage gangs and ask the question – how can we stop the cycle of teenage boys causing havoc to our digital lives?