Face of Hacking
By including 50 images of members of Anonymous, LulzSec, Jeremy Hammond and some of the so-called PayPal 14 SecureThoughts has sought to create an “average face of hacking." SecureThoughts.com

Whether it’s a state-sponsored cybercriminal or individual hacker working with their own motivation, government and corporate networks are targeted every day. Investigators often have little difficulty figuring out where a hack originates but that’s usually where the trail runs cold. The question remains: Just what does a hacker look like?

For all the publicity surrounding high-profile hacks like the recent attacks on Sony and Anthem health insurance, researchers are still unable to draw a picture of the people responsible for breaking through Internet security. The GIF below, provided by SecureThoughts.com, is the most comprehensive picture we have yet.

It’s far from a complete picture, to be sure. But by including 50 images of members of Anonymous, LulzSec, Jeremy Hammond and some of the so-called PayPal 14, SecureThoughts has sought to create an “average face of hacking.”