The Man Who Hacked America

In 2013, one man showed the world the hidden power of America by leaking over 100,000 top-secret documents. This act made him America’s most wanted criminal for more than a decade. Yet today, many see him as a hero. But why? How did he steal these documents from a top-secret agency? Why did he leak them? And how did he escape from being caught by the U.S. government?

On June 6, 2013, shocking news was published by The Guardian and The Washington Post. These articles contained copies of secret NSA documents, revealing that the American government was spying on mobile users worldwide. The documents exposed the NSA’s Prism program, which allowed the government to access private data through companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook. Additionally, a secret court order let them access data from millions of Verizon customers.

The leaked documents also included a memo from President Obama asking for a list of foreign targets for cyber-attacks. This was just the start. The NSA had hacked into military computers in Hong Kong and China and tapped the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The British spy agency GCHQ was also spying on its citizens. Conversations between the NSA and GCHQ showed their plans to deceive people and maintain control through social media.

At first, no one knew who leaked these documents. But three days later, Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old high school dropout, revealed himself as the source. Snowden had an unusual career path. He joined the U.S. military but was discharged after a year. In 2005, he became a security guard at the University of Maryland. Despite not being a great student, Snowden had excellent computer skills, which led the CIA to hire him. Later, he worked for Dell, which had a contract to upgrade the NSA’s computer systems. At Dell, Snowden’s role changed from supervisor to cyber strategist.

What made Snowden turn from a valued employee to a traitor? While working on NSA systems, he discovered the agency’s extensive surveillance powers, including access to the personal data of American citizens. He saw the NSA director, James Clapper, lie to Congress on national television about the agency’s data collection practices. This lie angered Snowden, leading him to leave his high-paying job at Dell and join Booz Allen Hamilton, another company working on NSA projects.

Snowden stole an estimated 20 million files without using advanced hacking tools. He used a simple USB drive. Due to his high-security clearance and remote work location in Hawaii, Snowden had access to the NSA’s headquarters systems. After copying the files, he fled to Hong Kong and shared the documents with journalists, making global headlines.

Snowden’s actions sparked a worldwide debate about the NSA’s secretive powers. He was charged with theft of government property and unauthorized disclosure of national security information. Despite demands for his extradition, Snowden escaped to Russia, where he was granted asylum and later received Russian citizenship in 2022.

In many interviews, Snowden has explained how security agencies use tools to spy on phone users, such as accessing microphones without detection. People remain divided: some view Snowden as a traitor, while others see him as a hero who exposed the NSA’s true nature.

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