Old-school hacker who's alias was the
Mentor and was a member of a number of hacking groups including the
Legion of Doom (LOD),
PhoneLine Phantoms,
Racketeers and
Extasyy Elite. In 1986 he was arrested at the age 21 and wrote the very famous hacker
manifesto Mentor's Last Words in response to his arrest. By
Summercon 1988, Loyd and LOD had control of the entire US phone system.
In 1990, Loyd was running one of the largest hacking BBS, The Phoenix Project. Having achieved almost all that he could and knowing that his prior arrest and high-profile BBS made him a target, he decided to stop hacking. It was in 1990 when his home was raided by the Secret Service along with many others in Operation Sundevil. His employer at the time, Steve Jackson Games, was also raided under suspicion that he was keeping stolen telephone documents there. Nothing was found, but the Secret Service kept computer equipment and the manuscript for Cyberpunk, a role playing game being created by Loyd. The Secret Service held the manuscript calling it a "handbook for computer crime". Steve Jackson Games almost goes under because of the confiscation of their computers and source of income and files suit against the Secret Service for the careless and unjustified raid. 3 years later a jury awarded Steve Jackson Games damages.
Loyd works as a freelance game developer and electronic musician.
Loyd spells his name with only 1 L, though the media has almost always used 2