Chicongo hacker tied to Anonymous sentenced to 10 years in prison for hacking gubment agencies

[link to my.chicagotribune.com]
A Chicago computer hacker tied to the group known as Anonymous was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for cyber attacks on various government agencies and businesses, including a global intelligence company.

Jeremy Hammond, 28, was handed the prison term after he had admitted in May to hacking into Strategic Forecasting Inc in December 2011, an attack his lawyers contend was driven by concern about the role of private firms in gathering intelligence domestically and abroad.

Prosecutors say the hack of Austin, Texas-based Strategic Forecasting, or Stratfor, resulted in the theft of 60,000 credit card numbers and records for 860,000 clients, which were then uploaded online.

When federal agents kicked in the door of his South Side home in March 2012, Hammond was already a cause celebre among anarchists and cyberterrorists for his sophisticated infiltration of government and corporate websites.
Hammond has a growing number of more mainstream supporters after recent revelations by Edward Snowden have seemingly given credence to Hammond's belief that government and powerful corporations that operate in secrecy need to be checked and exposed.

Hammond pleaded guilty to hacking into more than half a dozen secure sites, revealing the personal and financial informat

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