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Most Wanted: Teen Hacker
"Countless victims. Zero remorse."
Overview
The unbelievable true story of a boy once named by the FBI as one of the most dangerous hackers in the world.
Status
Returning Series
Created By
Sami Kieksi
Network
HBO Max
Seasons & Episodes
Miniseries
Follow the illegal exploits of Finnish hacker Julius Kivimäki (now known as Aleksanteri Kivimäki), who rose to infamy after forcing a U.S. passenger plane to make an emergency landing, shutting down PlayStation globally, and orchestrating several dangerous SWAT attacks – including one targeting the family of an FBI agent.
Episodes
Hunted by the FBI
The premiere episode introduces Julius Kivimäki, a Finnish teenager who, by the age of 14, had fallen into the world of cybercrime. This episode establishes his early involvement with a group of criminal hackers, detailing his role in mass data breaches and the use of "swatting" to terrorize his targets. It also delves into one of his most infamous acts: the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox Live platforms, which left millions of gamers unable to play on Christmas day in 2014.
Lives at Stake
Kivimäki begins falsely reporting emergencies to trigger a law enforcement response, wreaking havoc on an FBI agent and a community in Connecticut.
The Hunt for a Hacker
The focus shifts in the third episode to the FBI's investigation and the challenges of tracking a young, seemingly untouchable hacker across international borders. The narrative builds as the FBI closes in on Kivimäki, revealing how they were able to pinpoint his location and ultimately track him down to a casino in Las Vegas. The episode includes interviews with the FBI agents who were involved in the high-stakes manhunt.
Justice and Aftermath
The series concludes by examining the aftermath of Kivimäki's capture and the legal battle that followed. This episode covers his conviction for a long list of cybercrimes, including the mass data breach and extortion of patients from a Finnish psychotherapy center. The final installment provides a comprehensive look at the judicial process, and features interviews with Kivimäki himself, providing a glimpse into the mindset of a person once considered one of the most dangerous hackers in the world. The episode ends by detailing his current status as he serves his prison sentence.
Top Cast
Julius Kivimäki
Self
