▁programming . ▁He ▁en rolled ▁at ▁San ▁Jose ▁State ▁University ▁and ▁simultaneously ▁worked ▁at ▁Ernst ▁& ▁Young ▁as ▁a ▁security ▁test er . ▁He ▁also ▁joined ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁hack ers ▁that ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁called ▁w 0 0 w 0 0 , ▁where ▁he ▁met ▁the ▁future ▁found ers ▁of ▁Nap ster , ▁Sh awn ▁F anning ▁and ▁Jordan ▁Ritter . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁a ▁rest ra ining ▁order ▁was ▁granted ▁against ▁K ou m ▁in ▁state ▁court ▁in ▁San ▁Jose , ▁California . ▁An ▁ex - g irl friend ▁detailed ▁inc idents ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁said ▁K ou m ▁verb ally ▁and ▁phys ically ▁threatened ▁her . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁K ou m ▁said ▁about ▁the ▁rest ra ining ▁order , ▁" I ▁am ▁ash amed ▁of ▁the ▁way ▁I ▁acted ▁and ▁ash amed ▁that ▁my ▁behavior ▁forced ▁her ▁to ▁take ▁legal ▁action ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁K ou m ▁met ▁Brian ▁Act on ▁while ▁working ▁at ▁Ernst ▁& ▁Young ▁as ▁a ▁security ▁test er . ▁. ▁ ▁Y ahoo ! ▁Later ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁K ou m ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁Y ahoo ! ▁as ▁an ▁infrastr ucture ▁engineer . ▁He ▁quit ▁school ▁shortly ▁there after . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁nine ▁years , ▁K ou m ▁and ▁Act on ▁worked ▁there ▁together . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁they ▁both ▁left ▁Y ahoo !