Ehud Tenebaum, the Israeli teen recently arrested for breaking into US military Web servers, will reportedly enter the Israeli army this weekend to fulfill his national service obligation.
The youth, who goes by the name Analyzer, has also been weighing offers for book, television, and movie deals, according to the Associated Press.
Zvi Eyal, Tenebaum's newly appointed "media adviser," told AP that his client had granted an exclusive, paid interview to the Israeli mass-circulation daily Yediot Ahronot, and is negotiating interview deals with US television networks.
Further, Eyal said his client was angling to get a job in computer systems with the Israeli defense forces.
The media attention in both the United States and the Middle East may lead to friction at the US Department of Justice and the FBI. Earlier this month, US Attorney General Janet Reno sent the message to the world's crackers that the US would be taking a leading role in fighting so-called cybercrime.
"We will work around the world and in the depths of cyberspace to investigate and prosecute those who attack computer networks," said Reno in a statement following Tenebaum's arrest on 18 March.
However, Israeli officials have been less harsh with Tenebaum. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the youth, calling him "damn good ... very dangerous too." Other, unconfirmed reports suggested that Tenebaum was being considered for a high-level computer position in his country's military.
Meanwhile, his online colleagues were predictably pleased with his rising celebrity status, saying it would help their group's stated mission of fighting online racism and pedophilia.
"This fame might help our group to find people like us willing to help in the fight against racism and pedophilia," a member of the Enforcers, named "ShdowBoxn," told Wired News. Tenebaum is a member and de-facto leader of the Enforcers.
"We have already started receiving tons of email from supporters and have been offered help from every corner of the world," ShdowBoxn added.
Department of Justice officials characterized the attention being rained upon Analyzer as "troubling."
"[Tenebaum] treats the systems as if they are a toy," said John Russell, a spokesman for the Justice Department. "You have youngsters that are hackers and they are defiant and don't have any respect for authority, and that is a problem.
"When there are young hackers they grow up to be old hackers and some fall into the realm of criminal activity," Russell added.
