Unlike Russia s attacks, our losses didn t involve big thefts. In Russia, computer break-ins revolve around money. His firm s Web site was hacked by Russian hackers last August. Some Russian hacks are major coups. When he didn t get the money, he posted 25,000 numbers on a Web site.
Russian hackers are professionals.
It s their job. Government officials estimated that 80 percent of the software in Russia is pirated. This is how most hackers make their living. They make illegal copies of programs from Microsoft and other suppliers. An Expedia spokesman said criminals got credit card numbers from non-Expedia sources, then used them to buy travel services online.