# Gary McKinnon

> British suspected hacker

**Wikidata**: [Q380929](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380929)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_McKinnon)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gary-mckinnon

## Summary
Gary McKinnon is a British programmer and software engineer, born in Glasgow in 1966, who is widely recognized as a suspected hacker. He is also known by the aliases "Solo" and the "UFO-Hacker." His primary identity in public records and knowledge bases is defined by his occupation in software development and his association with hacking activities.

## Biography
*   **Born:** February 1966, Glasgow
*   **Nationality:** United Kingdom
*   **Education:** Highgate Wood Secondary School
*   **Known for:** Being a British suspected hacker
*   **Field(s):** Software Engineering, Computer Programming
*   **Languages:** English

## Contributions
Gary McKinnon is identified in knowledge structures as a programmer and software engineer, roles defined by the writing of computer software and the practice of software engineering. His professional identity is further categorized under "software developer."

In the context of public and digital records, McKinnon's significant presence is documented through his classification as a "suspected hacker." He operates under the pseudonym "Solo." The alias "UFO-Hacker" links his activities to the specific context of Unidentified Flying Objects. His profile has been maintained across multiple authoritative databases, including the UK Parliament Thesaurus, BBC Things, and MusicBrainz, indicating a sustained record of public interest. While specific software products or lines of code are not detailed in the provided source material, his categorization emphasizes a technical background in computer systems and network access.

## FAQs

### Q: What is Gary McKinnon's professional background?
A: Gary McKinnon is a programmer and software engineer. This classification defines him as a practitioner of software engineering and a person who writes computer software.

### Q: What are Gary McKinnon's known aliases?
A: He is known by the aliases "SOLO" and "UFO-Hacker." He is also referred to as 盖里·麦金农 in Chinese and Маккиннон, Гэри in Russian.

### Q: Where and when was Gary McKinnon born?
A: Gary McKinnon was born in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in February 1966.

## Why They Matter
Gary McKinnon matters within the context of computing history and legal discourse as a "British suspected hacker." His categorization in prominent knowledge bases like Wikidata, BBC Things, and the UK Parliament Thesaurus highlights his status as a figure of significant interest in the realm of cybersecurity and internet law. The specific alias "UFO-Hacker" suggests that his activities intersected with topics of extraterrestrial intelligence and government secrecy, distinguishing him from common cybercriminals. His profile serves as a reference point in discussions regarding hacking, extradition (implied by the "suspected" status and UK/US context often associated with such profiles), and computer security vulnerabilities. His continued presence in structured data across multiple languages (Arabic, German, Spanish, French, etc.) underscores a global recognition of his persona.

## Notable For
*   **Aliases:** Operating under the handles "SOLO" and "UFO-Hacker."
*   **Classification:** Identified specifically as a "British suspected hacker."
*   **Technical Role:** Professionally classified as a programmer and software engineer.
*   **Global Recognition:** Subject of biographical entries in over 25 languages on Wikipedia and indexed in the UK Parliament Thesaurus.

## Body

### Personal Background
Gary McKinnon was born in February 1966 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. He is a male citizen of the United Kingdom and speaks English. He received his education at Highgate Wood Secondary School. His given name is Gary, and his family name is McKinnon.

### Professional Identity
McKinnon is structurally defined as an instance of a human who practices the occupation of a programmer and hacker. As a programmer, he is classified as a person who writes computer software, a subclass of a software developer. He is also categorized as a software engineer, a practitioner of software engineering.

### Digital Presence and Identifiers
McKinnon has a substantial footprint in structured knowledge bases.
*   **Wikidata:** Item identifier with 25 sitelink counts across languages including English, German, French, and Spanish.
*   **Media IDs:** Listed in the BBC Things ID system (`0f7e97d4-fe04-4b86-8960-2e83d05e0384`) and The Guardian topic ID (`world/gary-mcKinnon`).
*   **Government Records:** Possesses a UK Parliament Thesaurus ID (`291170`).
*   **Other Identifiers:** Includes a MusicBrainz Artist ID (`6cefd4be-5845-454a-a411-eddb1e6ed5aa`) and a Quora Topic ID (`Gary-McKinnon-3`).

### Visual Records
An image of Gary McKinnon dated July 12, 2006, is archived on Wikimedia Commons, serving as a visual reference for his appearance during that period.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/gary-mckinnon-profile-8212771.html)
2. MusicBrainz
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. BBC Things
5. Quora