Crackas With Attitude | These Guys Hacked the CIA episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 9, 2026 · 1H 6M

Crackas With Attitude | These Guys Hacked the CIA

from Things I Learned Last Night · host Jaron Myers and Tim Stone

Two teenagers managed to pull off the ultimate cybercrime: hacking the CIA, FBI, and NSA using nothing but clever social engineering. Discover the wild true story of the infamous 'Crackers with Attitude' and how they played the system. In this episode of Things I Learned Last Night, we dive into the unbelievable true story of how two hackers, known as 'Justin' and 'Kane' (aka 'Crackers with Attitude'), managed to infiltrate the most secure government agencies in the world. Rather than using complex code, these two used social engineering to outsmart Verizon and AOL, gaining access to the personal accounts of high-level intelligence directors like John Brennan and James Clapper. We explore their motivations, the infamous 'CIA hack,' the role of vigilante hacktivism, and the eventual downfall that led to prison sentences and a mandatory internet ban. This video is perfect for anyone interested in cybersecurity history, true crime, and the evolution of the dark web. You will learn how easily sensitive data can be compromised through human error and how the landscape of digital security has changed since the mid-2010s. Join us as we break down the technical, psychological, and hilarious moments that defined one of the most audacious hacking sagas in modern history. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: https://tilln.com/crackas Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: Joel Ortiz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb65wwJyWfU Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two teenagers managed to pull off the ultimate cybercrime: hacking the CIA, FBI, and NSA using nothing but clever social engineering. Discover the wild true story of the infamous 'Crackers with Attitude' and how they played the system. In this episode of Things I Learned Last Night, we dive into the unbelievable true story of how two hackers, known as 'Justin' and 'Kane' (aka 'Crackers with Attitude'), managed to infiltrate the most secure government agencies in the world. Rather than using complex code, these two used social engineering to outsmart Verizon and AOL, gaining access to the personal accounts of high-level intelligence directors like John Brennan and James Clapper. We explore their motivations, the infamous 'CIA hack,' the role of vigilante hacktivism, and the eventual downfall that led to prison sentences and a mandatory internet ban. This video is perfect for anyone interested in cybersecurity history, true crime, and the evolution of the dark web. You will learn how easily sensitive data can be compromised through human error and how the landscape of digital security has changed since the mid-2010s. Join us as we break down the technical, psychological, and hilarious moments that defined one of the most audacious hacking sagas in modern history. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: https://tilln.com/crackas Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: Joel Ortiz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb65wwJyWfU Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Crackas With Attitude | These Guys Hacked the CIA

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This episode is 1 hour and 6 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 9, 2026.

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Two teenagers managed to pull off the ultimate cybercrime: hacking the CIA, FBI, and NSA using nothing but clever social engineering. Discover the wild true story of the infamous 'Crackers with Attitude' and how they played the system. In this...

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