AOHell: The Teen Hacker Who Inadvertently Pioneered Phishing

In the mid-90s, 17-year-old Koceilah Rekouche (aka Da Chronic) created AOHell, a program that unleashed a massive attack on AOL. Driven by outrage at AOL's inaction against child predators and the inability to afford online access, AOHell's impact transcended its initial purpose. It inadvertently pioneered automated phishing, becoming a foundational technique in modern cybercrime. While Da Chronic gained notoriety as AOL's most famous hacker, AOHell also served as a free and creative outlet for countless young programmers, shaping a generation of technologists. Years later, Rekouche reflects on the complex legacy of his creation, acknowledging both its damaging consequences and surprising influence on the digital world.