Clifford Stoll

Clifford Paul "Cliff" Stoll is a renowned astronomer, author, and teacher. Before he became a published author, Stoll pursued a career in astronomy, but later transitioned to working as a systems manager at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This shift in focus allowed him to develop his skills in the field of computer systems.

Stoll is best known for his investigation in 1986, while working as a systems administrator at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which led to the capture of hacker Markus Hess. During this time, Stoll discovered unusual network activity and unauthorized access to the lab's computers. Through his diligent efforts and determination, he was able to trace the intrusion back to Hess, who was subsequently arrested and charged with computer intrusion and theft of sensitive information.