Hacking, extorsion, espionage...: money and political motives

Nothing new; most hacks aim at money.

Extorsion (or blackmail) is very profitable. see Tom Espiner, "Schneier: Cyber-extersion on the increase" ZDNet (23 january 2008) http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39292357,00.htm

as well as corporate espionage, ZDNet (7 january 2008) http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/0,1000001991,39291900,00.htm
and ZDNet (28 January 2008) where Greek Police arrested a hacker selling the corporate secrets of Dassault (French military company) http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39292445,00.htm


and in general, about profits made by selling hack services and other tools: "Cracking open the cybercrime economy" (14 December 2007)
http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/features/0,1000002000,39291463,00.htm

And when it is not hacking, it is modifying data, for revenge... An employee in the US was found guilty of computer damage and got 30 months imprisonment, a particularly harsh sentence comparing to customary sanctions applied (9 January 2008) http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39292027,00.htm

And from time to time, political motives are not forgotten: "Hackers crash Panama's National Assembly website" (22 January 2008) http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39292320,00.htm