Adrian Lamo

Adrián Lamo
Born	Adrián Alfonso Lamo Atwood (1981-02-20) 20 February 1981 Malden, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	14 March 2018(2018-03-14) (aged 37) Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Other names	"Homeless Hacker"
Occupation(s)	Cybersecurity analyst, hacker
Years active	1990s–2018
Known for	Hacking The New York Times, Yahoo!, Microsoft; reporting Chelsea Manning to U.S. authorities

Adrián Alfonso Lamo Atwood (February 20, 1981 – March 14, 2018) was an American cybersecurity analyst and hacker. He attracted significant media coverage for infiltrating prominent computer systems, including those belonging to The New York Times, Yahoo!, and Microsoft, which culminated in his arrest in 2003.

Lamo is most widely recognized for informing U.S. military authorities in 2010 about Chelsea Manning, a soldier who leaked hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. government documents to WikiLeaks. He passed away on March 14, 2018, at the age of 37.

Early life and education

Born in Malden, Massachusetts, Adrian Lamo was the son of Mario Ricardo Lamo, who hailed from Colombia. His education included attendance at high schools in both Bogotá and San Francisco; however, he did not complete his diploma and later obtained a GED. Following a court directive after his arrest, Lamo enrolled at American River College, a community college located in Sacramento County, California, where he pursued studies in journalism. His initial foray into hacking involved exploiting vulnerabilities in games on the Commodore 64 and experimenting with phone phreaking techniques.

Activities and legal issues

Lamo initially drew attention through his management of the AOL monitoring website Inside-AOL.com.

Security compromise

Identified as a grey hat hacker, Lamo exposed early weaknesses in internet security by illegally accessing corporate networks without causing harm. He offered to remediate these security gaps at no cost and would notify the press if his warnings were disregarded. Although he aimed to enter corporate security roles such as red teaming, his felony record prevented him from obtaining such positions.

In December 2001, Worldcom publicly acknowledged Lamo’s contributions toward improving their cybersecurity. In February 2002, he penetrated The New York Times internal systems, inserted himself into their expert directory, and utilized their LexisNexis account for research purposes. This activity triggered a federal investigation culminating in a warrant issued by August 2003. Lamo turned himself in September 2003 and pled guilty by January 2004 to a felony computer crime charge involving Microsoft, LexisNexis, and The New York Times.

By July 2004, Lamo was sentenced to two years of probation with six months under home confinement and ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution. His convictions encompassed unauthorized access to systems at The New York Times, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and WorldCom.

When confronted about potentially glorifying illegal activities, Lamo often responded ambiguously or with unrelated remarks. During sentencing, he conveyed regret and a commitment to reform: "I want to answer for what I have done and do better with my life." Later statements on Quora affirmed his acceptance of full responsibility for his conduct.

DNA controversy

On May 9, 2006, while still under probation, Lamo declined to provide a blood sample for inclusion in the United States government's CODIS DNA database. His legal counsel cited religious grounds opposing blood donation but indicated Lamo’s willingness to submit DNA through alternative methods. On June 15, 2006, his attorneys filed a motion invoking the Book of Genesis to support his religious objection.

Eventually, by June 20, 2007, Lamo’s legal representatives negotiated an agreement with the Department of Justice permitting him to provide a cheek swab instead of blood for DNA collection.

WikiLeaks and Chelsea Manning

In February 2009, a list of anonymous donors to WikiLeaks was exposed, with media outlets indicating that Lamo was among those contributors. Lamo confirmed this information via Twitter.

By May 2010, Lamo had reported to U.S. Army officials that Chelsea Manning had disclosed a substantial amount of classified material, including approximately 260,000 diplomatic cables and the "Collateral Murder" video. He explained that he would not have come forward had there not been a threat to human lives, describing her actions as an indiscriminate release of sensitive information.

WikiLeaks publicly denounced both Lamo and the journalist who reported the story, labeling them as "notorious felons, informers & manipulators," and cautioned journalists to remain vigilant.

Lamo served as a volunteer adversary characterization analyst for Project Vigilant, a government contractor that encouraged reporting suspected WikiLeaks sources. The project leader defended Lamo’s conduct as an act of patriotism driven by concern over potential dangers.

Following the disclosures, the Taliban issued threats against Afghan citizens identified as U.S. collaborators. Manning was subsequently arrested and sentenced to 35 years in military prison; this sentence was later commuted by President Barack Obama to seven years, including time already served.

Reflecting on his decision publicly, Lamo described it as ethically complex but necessary, acknowledging criticism from hacker communities who branded him a "snitch" and accused him of betrayal during various conferences and panel discussions.

Greenwald, Lamo, and Wired magazine

Lamo’s role in the Manning case attracted criticism from Glenn Greenwald, who accused him of deceitfully reporting Manning and then falsifying details about her confessions. Greenwald also highlighted Wired journalist Kevin Poulsen's 1994 felony hacking conviction, implying Poulsen acted as Lamo’s media spokesperson.

In his piece titled "The Worsening Journalistic Disgrace at Wired," Greenwald charged Wired with withholding critical evidence—the full chat logs between Lamo and Manning—in a high-profile political scandal that garnered worldwide attention.

Wired countered by questioning Greenwald’s intentions and accusing him of distorting facts to incite controversy.

On July 13, 2011, Wired released the complete Lamo–Manning chat transcripts, explaining that all significant unpublished information had been sufficiently disclosed and no longer required suppression. Greenwald confirmed that these logs supported his assertion that Wired had previously concealed important evidence.

Film and television

On August 22, 2002, Lamo was removed from an NBC Nightly News segment after demonstrating his hacking abilities by penetrating NBC’s internal network. Due to legal concerns, NBC decided to cut the segment. Starting in 2002, Lamo made five appearances on The Screen Savers.

The documentary Hackers Wanted, produced by Trigger Street Productions and narrated by Kevin Spacey, chronicles Lamo’s hacking activities in 2003 and features interviews with Kevin Rose and Steve Wozniak. Although never officially released, a trailer surfaced online in 2009, followed by early cuts and director’s editions leaked on BitTorrent in 2010.

Lamo also contributed as a cybersecurity expert on programs such as Good Morning America, Fox News, Democracy Now!, Frontline, and KCRA-TV News. He participated in interviews for documentaries including We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks and True Stories: WikiLeaks – Secrets and Lies. In 2015, he reunited with Leo Laporte for an episode of The New Screen Savers, inspired by a Quora post about the "dark web".

Lamo authored the book Ask Adrian, which compiles his most insightful responses from over 500 pages of answers on Quora.

Personal life and death

Lamo, often referred to as the "Homeless Hacker" due to his nomadic way of living, frequently relied on couch-surfing, inhabiting abandoned properties, and accessing networks through Internet cafés, libraries, and academic institutions. He commonly chose to sleep on couches and was known to roam residential and office spaces at night equipped with a flashlight.

Identifying as bisexual, Lamo contributed his efforts to the gay and lesbian media company PlanetOut Inc. during the mid-1990s. In 1998, he was appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to serve on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Youth Task Force.

His lifestyle included the use of various supplements and substances, which his spouse described as a form of "body hacking." Among his preferences was kratom, which he regarded as a safer alternative to opioids. In 2001, Lamo experienced an overdose involving prescribed amphetamines. Following his decision to report Chelsea Manning, his consumption of drugs escalated but he later asserted that he had achieved recovery.

A 2004 interview published in Wired featured an ex-partner who characterized him as "very controlling" and claimed he carried a stun gun; however, Lamo denied ever being subjected to a restraining order. In May 2010, after reporting a stolen backpack, he was placed under an initial 72-hour psychiatric hold that was extended to nine days, during which time he received a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome.

In March 2011, citing threats related to his involvement in turning in Manning, Lamo stated that he was "in hiding." He passed away on March 14, 2018, in Wichita, Kansas, at the age of 37. The autopsy did not reveal a conclusive cause of death; several pill bottles were found at his residence, some containing substances known to cause serious health complications when combined with kratom. The circumstances indicate an accidental death resulting from drug misuse.

See also

• List of unsolved deaths