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Who Was Really Hacking for UFO Secrets?

Both hackers cited UFO secrecy, but McKinnon made it central to his campaign while Bevan's interest shaped a broader pattern of network exploration.

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Preview for Who Was Really Hacking for UFO Secrets?

On this page

  • Mc Kinnon's stated search for hidden technology
  • Bevan's interest in aircraft and alleged cover ups
  • Why Pryce's UFO motive is less certain

Introduction

Gary McKinnon and Mathew Bevan are often described together as British “UFO hackers”, but the comparison can be misleading. Both men later said that an interest in UFO secrecy influenced their unauthorised access to American military and government computer systems. The difference lies in how central that interest was to their activities and what they expected to find. McKinnon openly framed his hacking as a direct search for evidence of suppressed UFO technology, antigravity research and secret space programmes. By contrast, Bevan’s UFO interest formed part of a broader fascination with military networks, advanced aircraft and alleged government cover-ups rather than a single-minded campaign to prove extraterrestrial claims. Contemporary evidence also treats Richard Pryce differently again: while he operated alongside Bevan during the Rome Laboratory intrusions, the historical record provides much weaker evidence that UFOs were his primary motivation.[ieee.org]spectrum.ieee.orgSpectrum Gary Mc Kinnon: The Autistic HackerIEEE SpectrumGary McKinnon: The Autistic Hacker - IEEE SpectrumJune 27, 2011…Published: June 27, 2011

UFO Motives illustration 1

McKinnon’s stated search for hidden technology

McKinnon consistently described his motives in unusually explicit terms. Rather than claiming that UFOs became an interest after his intrusions, he said they were the reason he targeted NASA and US military systems in the first place. Inspired by material from the Disclosure Project and longstanding beliefs that governments were concealing advanced propulsion and energy technologies, he sought documentary proof rather than financial gain or espionage.[IEEE Spectrum]spectrum.ieee.orgSpectrum Gary Mc Kinnon: The Autistic HackerIEEE SpectrumGary McKinnon: The Autistic Hacker - IEEE SpectrumJune 27, 2011…Published: June 27, 2011

His own public explanations repeatedly focused on three related objectives:

  • finding evidence that UFO encounters were being concealed;
  • locating information about antigravity or “free energy” technology;
  • confirming the existence of secret space operations beyond publicly acknowledged programmes.[Check The Evidence]checktheevidence.comCheck The Evidence Hacker – Gary Mc Kinnon – BBC Interview – Check The EvidenceCheck The Evidence Hacker – Gary Mc Kinnon – BBC Interview – Check The Evidence

The claims for which McKinnon became famous all reflect those expectations. He later said he encountered references to “non-terrestrial officers”, lists of unexplained ship transfers and a high-resolution image of what he believed was a non-human spacecraft. None of these claims has been independently verified, and no documentary evidence from the alleged files has ever been publicly produced. Nevertheless, these reported discoveries became central to McKinnon’s public identity and explain why his case remains closely associated with UFO culture.[theguardian.com]theguardian.comThe Guardian Game over | Gary Mc Kinnon | The GuardianThe Guardian Game over | Gary Mc Kinnon | The Guardian

An important distinction is that McKinnon’s motives remained remarkably consistent before, during and after the legal proceedings. Interviews over many years repeat essentially the same explanation: he believed hidden aerospace technologies existed and thought insecure government networks might contain proof.[checktheevidence.com]checktheevidence.comCheck The Evidence Hacker – Gary Mc Kinnon – BBC Interview – Check The EvidenceCheck The Evidence Hacker – Gary Mc Kinnon – BBC Interview – Check The Evidence

UFO Motives illustration 2

Bevan’s interest in aircraft and alleged cover-ups

Mathew Bevan’s own descriptions reveal a broader pattern of curiosity than McKinnon’s. He has explained that he became interested in UFO conspiracies after discovering collections of documents on bulletin board systems discussing Roswell, alleged government cover-ups and rumours that hackers had disappeared while searching military networks. Those stories encouraged him to investigate military computers that might contain related material.[Kujimedia]kujimedia.comKuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Blog Archive » Confessions of a hacker by Mathew BevanJune 26, 2008…Published: June 26, 2008

However, Bevan’s accounts describe a wider investigative interest than simply proving extraterrestrial life. His searches extended to:

  • military research facilities;
  • NASA-related systems;
  • advanced aircraft and aerospace projects;
  • classified defence information that might relate to alleged government secrecy.

Rather than describing one specific document or discovery that justified his efforts, Bevan characterised his objective as searching for evidence of a broader conspiracy surrounding the UFO phenomenon.[Kujimedia]kujimedia.comKuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Blog Archive » Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace – Chapter Six…

His own retrospective comments also place personal circumstances alongside ideological ones. Bevan has spoken about being bullied at school and finding escape and status within early hacker communities. He described UFO research as giving direction to his hacking rather than completely defining it. That combination of curiosity, social isolation and technical exploration contrasts with McKinnon’s much more focused narrative centred on suppressed technology.[Kujimedia]kujimedia.comKuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Blog Archive » Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace – Chapter Six…

Another practical difference is that Bevan’s activities formed part of the wider 1994 Rome Laboratory intrusions. Investigators documented extensive movement through interconnected military networks using compromised systems as stepping stones. Although Bevan later said he hoped to uncover information about UFO cover-ups, the historical significance of the case lies primarily in the scale of the security breach rather than in any claimed discoveries.[airandspaceforces.com]airandspaceforces.comAir & Space Forces MagazineCollins innovatio:is come to life in an wn1atched variety af navigation and communications products that keep him…

UFO Hacker Gary McKinnon being interviewed about the NASA Hack

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Why their motives are often conflated

The two cases are frequently merged because both involved British hackers, American military systems and references to UFO secrecy. Yet the evidence supports different characterisations.

McKinnon made extraordinary claims about what he believed he had actually found. Whether accepted or rejected, those alleged discoveries became inseparable from his public story. Bevan, in contrast, is remembered mainly because he said UFO conspiracies motivated his search, not because he claimed to have uncovered comparable evidence. Contemporary reporting about the Rome Laboratory incident concentrated on the cybersecurity implications rather than sensational discoveries inside the compromised systems.[theguardian.com]theguardian.comThe Guardian Game over | Gary Mc Kinnon | The GuardianThe Guardian Game over | Gary Mc Kinnon | The Guardian

The distinction matters because later retellings sometimes imply that both hackers reported the same kinds of secret files or reached the same conclusions. The documentary record does not support that equivalence. McKinnon’s reputation rests largely on his post-hack claims about hidden space programmes, whereas Bevan’s reputation rests on his role in a landmark military network intrusion whose stated UFO motivation remained comparatively broad and exploratory.[ieee.org]spectrum.ieee.orgSpectrum Gary Mc Kinnon: The Autistic HackerIEEE SpectrumGary McKinnon: The Autistic Hacker - IEEE SpectrumJune 27, 2011…Published: June 27, 2011

Why Pryce’s UFO motive is less certain

Richard Pryce (“Datastream Cowboy”) is often grouped with Bevan because both participated in the Rome Laboratory intrusion campaign, but the evidence for a UFO-centred motive is considerably weaker.

Official investigations, court reporting and technical reconstructions overwhelmingly describe Pryce in terms of his unauthorised access to Air Force, NASA and defence contractor systems. They document his methods and the chain of intrusions but provide little evidence that he publicly presented his hacking as a search for extraterrestrial information.[Air & Space Forces Magazine]airandspaceforces.comAir & Space Forces MagazineCollins innovatio:is come to life in an wn1atched variety af navigation and communications products that keep him…

Later narratives sometimes associate Pryce with UFO-related interests because he operated within the same hacker milieu as Bevan and reached some of the same military systems. Even so, the available evidence does not place UFO secrecy at the centre of Pryce’s own stated motivations in the way it clearly does for McKinnon or, to a lesser extent, Bevan. For that reason, historians and careful commentators generally distinguish three separate cases rather than treating them as a single movement of “UFO hackers.”[trulyadventure.us]trulyadventure.usThe HackerThe Hacker

UFO Motives illustration 3

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Endnotes

1. Source: spectrum.ieee.org
Title: Spectrum Gary Mc Kinnon: The Autistic Hacker
Link:https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-autistic-hacker

Source snippet

IEEE SpectrumGary McKinnon: The Autistic Hacker - IEEE SpectrumJune 27, 2011...

Published: June 27, 2011

2. Source: welivesecurity.com
Title: Gary Mc Kinnon reveals detail on NASA data breach and ‘extraterrestrial life’
Link:https://www.welivesecurity.com/2015/12/08/gary-mckinnon-reveals-detail-on-nasa-data-breach-and-extraterrestrial-life/

3. Source: kujimedia.com
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/confessions-of-a-hacker-by-mathew-bevan/

Source snippet

Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Blog Archive » Confessions of a hacker by Mathew BevanJune 26, 2008...

Published: June 26, 2008

4. Source: kujimedia.com
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/tales-of-digital-crime-from-the-shadows-of-cyberspace-chapter-six/

Source snippet

Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Blog Archive » Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace – Chapter Six...

5. Source: kujimedia.com
Title: Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Kuji
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/category/kuji/

Source snippet

Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Kuji...

6. Source: kujimedia.com
Title: Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Blog Archive » THE SCHOOLBOY SPY. Sunday Times
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/the-schoolboy-spy-sunday-times/

Source snippet

Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Blog Archive » THE SCHOOLBOY SPY. Sunday Times...

7. Source: phrack.org
Link:https://phrack.org/issues/49/16

8. Source: trulyadventure.us
Title: The Hacker
Link:https://www.trulyadventure.us/the-hacker

9. Source: nasa.gov
Title: UPDAT E: NASA Shares UAP Independent Study Report; Names Director
Link:https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/update-nasa-shares-uap-independent-study-report-names-director/

10. Source: kujimedia.com
Title: Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Datastream Cowboy
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/tag/datastream-cowboy/

11. Source: kujimedia.com
Title: hacker turns to vendors as it pi
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/hacker-turns-to-vendors-as-it-pi/

12. Source: kujimedia.com
Title: Kuji Media Corporation Ltd. » Richard Pryce
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/tag/richard-pryce/page/2/

13. Source: kujimedia.com
Link:https://www.kujimedia.com/articles/

14. Source: youtube.com
Title: Gary Mckinnon: The Hacker Who Found UFOs
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_1DuqeU8hw

Source snippet

UFO - Hacker Gary Mckinnon Interview 5-5-2006 BBC...

15. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B00Fv9VMDq0

Source snippet

UFO Hacker Shares New Secrets | Gary McKinnon...

16. Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian Game over | Gary Mc Kinnon | The Guardian
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2005/jul/09/weekend7.weekend2

17. Source: airandspaceforces.com
Link:https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/1998/01/0198_Jan1998.pdf

Source snippet

Air & Space Forces MagazineCollins innovatio:is come to life in an wn1atched variety af navigation and communications products that keep him...

18. Source: checktheevidence.com
Title: Check The Evidence Hacker – Gary Mc Kinnon – BBC Interview – Check The Evidence
Link:https://www.checktheevidence.com/wordpress/2006/05/06/old-news-1805/

19. Source: theguardian.com
Title: Profile: Gary Mc Kinnon | Gary Mc Kinnon | The Guardian
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jul/31/gary-mckinnon-hacking-extradition

20. Source: theguardian.com
Title: Gary Mc Kinnon | Life and style | The Guardian
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2007/apr/22/features.magazine7

21. Source: ufohackers.org
Link:https://www.ufohackers.org/hackers

Additional References

22. Source: youtube.com
Title: UFO Hacker Shares New Secrets | Gary Mc Kinnon
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SOTGFj7BwI

Source snippet

Gary McKinnon Matthew Bevan UFO hacker A Tale of Two UFO Hackers: Matthew Bevan & Gary McKinnon | True Crime Somewhere in the Skies w/ Ry...

23. Source: youtube.com
Title: A Tale of Two UFO Hackers: Matthew Bevan & Gary Mc Kinnon | True Crime
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rksYZZgSPcY

Source snippet

UFO Hacker Gary McKinnon being interviewed about the NASA Hack...

24. Source: archives.gov
Link:https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/project-blue-book-50th-anniversary

25. Source: youtube.com
Title: UFO Hacker Gary Mc Kinnon being interviewed about the NASA Hack
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr0oP3uA4jw

Source snippet

Gary Mckinnon: The Hacker Who Found UFOs...

26. Source: projectcamelot.org
Link:https://projectcamelot.org/lang/en/gary_mckinnon_interview_transcript_en.html

27. Source: independent.co.uk
Link:https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/gary-mckinnon-inside-the-head-of-a-super-hacker-6095677.html

28. Source: npr.org
Title: how ufo sightings went from conspiracy theory to a serious government inquiry
Link:https://www.npr.org/2021/06/04/1003262749/how-ufo-sightings-went-from-conspiracy-theory-to-a-serious-government-inquiry

29. Source: ufohackers.org
Link:https://www.ufohackers.org/hackers/mathew-bevan/bevan-overview

30. Source: thelifehacker.org
Title: This Man Hacked NASA And Describes What He Found in Interview
Link:https://thelifehacker.org/2022/12/19/this-man-hacked-nasa-and-describes-what-he-found-in-interview/

31. Source: boingboing.net
Title: Interview with “UFO Hacker” Gary Mc Kinnon: why’d he do it?
Link:https://boingboing.net/2006/06/21/interview-with-ufo-h.html