Owen Walker

Early Life

Owen Thor Walker, known online by the pseudonym AKILL, grew up in New Zealand. From the age of 13, Walker was home-schooled and received no formal computer training. He taught himself programming and encryption independently. Walker had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.

Hacking Activity

Walker became the ringleader of an international hacking organization that was estimated to have caused approximately $26 million worth of damage. A central element of his operations was a botnet he established using servers he exploited and rented, the majority of which were located in Malaysia. Among the targets of activity linked to his network was the computer network of the University of Pennsylvania, an attack that drew the attention of international law enforcement, including the FBI.

Arrest and Trial

Walker was arrested under sections 248–252 of New Zealand's Crimes Act following an international investigation in which the FBI identified his involvement in the attack on the University of Pennsylvania's computer network. He pleaded guilty to his role in the offenses and was fined for the cost of the damage caused to the university. Despite the guilty plea, the presiding judge discharged Walker without conviction, concluding that a formal conviction would be detrimental to his future prospects.

Employment

Following the resolution of his case in 2008, Walker was hired by TelstraClear, the New Zealand subsidiary of the Australian telecommunications company Telstra, to work within their security division, DMZGlobal. In his role as a security consultant, he presented seminars and appeared in advertising for the company. TelstraClear spokesman Chris Mirams addressed public questions about the hiring, stating that it was not the equivalent of hiring a bank robber to advise on bank security.