Christopher "Chris" Doyon (born 1964), also known as "Commander X", is an American homeless hacktivist and the self-described leader of hacker group Anonymous.
Christopher Doyon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Doyon 1964 (age 59–60) Maine, United States |
| Occupation | Hacktivist |
| Nickname | Commander X |
First arrest
editDoyon was arrested in September 2011[1] for using the High Orbit Ion Cannon to make a DDoS attack on servers belonging to Santa Cruz County, California. The attack, which occurred in December 2010, was triggered by a new law affecting the homeless community of which Doyon was a part, and it affected Santa Cruz servers for just 30 minutes. The government alleged a few thousand dollars in damages for investigation and remediation, clearing threshold of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and making the DDoS a federal crime.
Helped by his pro-bono attorney, Jay Leiderman,[2] Doyon jumped bail in February 2012 and fled across the border into Canada.[3][4] He spent around seven years issuing press releases, hanging out on Twitter, and writing a self-published memoir, talking to journalists and appearing in documentaries.[5]
Second arrest
editOn June 11, 2021, several armed, uniformed, Mexican men identifying themselves as DEA agents attempted to gain entry to the community where Doyon lived in Mexico City, Mexico but were turned away. They returned dressed as civilians, with representatives from the US Embassy, scaled the walls of the compound and took Doyon away in the early evening. This was confirmed by a press release from the US Attorney for the Northern District of California, where Doyon was imprisoned, though no details were provided.[6][7]
In 2022 Doyon pled guilty to his 2011 charges.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Feds: Homeless hacker 'Commander X' arrested". www.cbsnews.com. 2011-09-23. Archived from the original on 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ Allnutt, Luke (2012-10-03). "Hacktivist's Advocate: Meet the Lawyer Who Defends Anonymous". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "Man accused of hacking into county computers speaks in Santa Cruz; Commander X of Anonymous says he"s innocent". Santa Cruz Sentinel. 2011-10-02. Archived from the original on 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ Anderson, Nate (December 11, 2012). "Anon on the run: How Commander X jumped bail and fled to Canada". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ McGuire, Patrick (2016-11-01). "Commander X, a Fugitive Homeless Hacker, Has a New Book About Hacking on the Run". Vice. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "Former Mountain View Resident Christopher Doyon Apprehended In Mexico And Returned To The United States". United States Department of Justice. 2021-06-15. Archived from the original on 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ Anderson, Nate (June 16, 2021). "Ten-year hacktivist fugitive Commander X arrested in Mexico". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "Activist hacker 'Commander X' pleads guilty to federal charges for shutting down Santa Cruz County's website". The Mercury News. 2022-03-31. Archived from the original on 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2023-12-23.