Zammis Clark

Zammis Clark, also known as wack0, Slipstream or Raylee, is a British computer security specialist and former employee of Malwarebytes. Clark is suspected to have hacked numerous large entities, including VTech, Nintendo, Microsoft, and North Korea, leaking Version 3.0 of its Red Star Operating System.

Background

Zammis Clark, born in 1994, is a British computer security specialist who operated under the online aliases wack0, Slipstream, and Raylee. Clark worked professionally in the security industry as an employee of Malwarebytes, a well-known cybersecurity firm.

Hacking Activity

Clark is suspected of having compromised a number of large and prominent organizations, including VTech, Nintendo, Microsoft, and entities associated with North Korea. The full scope of these activities placed Clark among a small number of researchers and hackers who targeted both commercial technology companies and state-linked infrastructure.

North Korea's Red Star OS

In January 2015, Clark became the first individual to publicly release North Korea's Red Star Operating System in full. While initial images of the OS had been made available in 2013 by Will Scott, a former Google employee, Clark's release represented the first complete public disclosure of the system. Analysis of the operating system revealed that it was designed to restrict the information available to users, functioning as a state-controlled platform with access limited to selectively approved websites.

Legal Proceedings

In 2019, Clark pleaded guilty to charges relating to hacking and data breaches, specifically in connection with unauthorized access to servers belonging to Microsoft and Nintendo between March and May 2018. Clark did not receive a custodial sentence; the court took into account mental health issues and instead imposed a suspended sentence of 15 months.