All the Software Two Central Ohio Inmates Needed to Hack Wi-Fi Networks From the Comfort of Prison

Close convicted man with handcuffs behind grids-1

This is an older story originating in 2017 but still one of our favorites. And a reminder that if this could happen in 2017, think about how far much better cybercriminals have become. In 2017, two prisoners in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction were caught with a few hacked together computers hidden in the ceiling above a closet. What’d they do with these computers? Aside from obviously downloading porn, they were also laying down a wide variety of scams and hacks.

The two inmates, Adam Johnston and Scott Spriggs were somehow not only able to piece together entire computers with stolen parts without anyone noticing, they were also able to run ethernet cables through the ceiling and down to the network switch to gain internet access without any restrictions. They then accessed those computers and their unfettered access to the internet with remote desktop software.

With this newfound power, they stole the identity of one inmate and used it to apply for five credit cards, downloaded tons of porn and other movies, then sent that over to other inmates on thumb drives, and then used a variety of software to brute force crack password, spam emails, and perform a few man-in-the-middle attacks to grab account details so they could grant passes for inmates within the prison.

Good news too, we have the full Ohio Inspector General report, and that includes a list of all the software the inmates used. If you’ve been reading Lifehacker for a while, you’re going to recognize some of this software:

The whole thing is something out of an episode of Mr. Robot, but in Ohio, and slightly less political in nature. Still, it’s a fascinating story, and one that despite the illegal nature of it all, any geek can at least nod their head in respect at.