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Patriotic Hacker's Rise: From Student to Cybercriminal

7/19/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In 2005, Sichuan University student Tan Dailin became a member of the Honkers, a hacker group known for patriotic cyberattacks. After triumphing in a PLA contest, he established the Network Crack Program Hacker, orchestrating major hacks for the PLA. His journey led to a contract with the Ministry of State Security and US indictments in 2020 for breaching over 100 targets.

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Story summary

In 2005, Sichuan University student Tan Dailin became a member of the Honkers, a hacker group known for patriotic cyberattacks. After triumphing in a PLA contest, he established the Network Crack Program Hacker, orchestrating major hacks for the PLA. His journey led to a contract with the Ministry of State Security and US indictments in 2020 for breaching over 100 targets.