Kevin Mitnickis not just any character, he was in fact the former cybercriminal who defied American authorities with his digital exploits, and passed away last week, July 16, 2023, due to pancreatic cancer, aged just 59; the “celebrity” – in his circle -, after serving a prison sentence, had turned into a computer security expert and successful author, bringing the new name even more into the legend.
Kevin Mitnick was a legend in the history of hacking, known for hacking into the networks of various companies and institutions in the 80s and 90s, and among his targets were Pacific Bell, Motorola, Nokia and the Pentagon, with his technical skills and his ability to manipulate people, known as “social engineering”, which made him a formidable opponent for the FBI, which pursued him for years before arresting him in 1995.
Kevin Mitnick spent five years in prison, where he was subjected to severe restrictions, including a ban on accessing the Internet or any electronic device, which did not please the community, in fact his detention sparked protests and sympathy from the hacker communitywho launched the campaign “FREE KEVIN” to denounce the unfair treatment he received.
After his release in 2000, Kevin Mitnick changed his life and used his knowledge to help companies and organizations protect themselves from cyber attacksalso founded his own consulting firm, Mitnick Security Consultingand collaborated with KnowBe4, a company specializing in cybersecurity training; meanwhile he has also written several books, including an autobiography entitled Ghost in the Wiresin which he recounted his adventures as a hacker and his transformation.
As already mentioned, Kevin Mitnick died last week after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, and his obituary remembers him as an exceptional, original and fascinating man who left an indelible mark on the world of hacking and cybersecurity:
“Kevin Mitnick crammed a dozen lives into one prematurely short one. He was an original; much of his life reads like a fictional story.”
it is read.
Who was Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick was born on August 6, 1963 in Van Nuys, California efin as a child he showed great curiosity and intelligence, as well as a talent for magic and sleight of hand, while instead, according to what from the BBCto As a 12-year-old he discovered how to travel for free on buses using a ticket puncher he had duped a bus driver.
Mitnick got into hacking after discovering the system Ark from Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), used to develop the RSTS/E software, and with the help of a friend he managed to break into it through unauthorized access, and copy the source code. This was the first of his many computer intrusions which led to his being charged and convicted in 1988 of software theft.
After serving one year in prison and three years of probation, Kevin Mitnick resumed his illegal activities, hacking into Pacific Bell’s voice systems, and as soon as a warrant was issued for his arrest, he he fled and became a fugitive for two and a half years.
During his escape, Mitnick continued to defy the authorities with his digital exploits: he infiltrated the networks of several companies in the telecommunications and information technology sectors, stealing sensitive data and credit card numbers, he also managed to access Pentagon systems and listen to FBI telephone conversations that were looking for him.
Mitnick was finally captured in 1995 in North Carolinathanks to the collaboration of another famous hacker, Tsutomu Shimomura, who located him after Mitnick hacked his computer; once in custody, Kevin Mitnick was accused of several crimesamong which IT and telematic fraudand pleaded guilty in 1999. He was sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of probation.
Mitnick always denied that he used his skills for profit or that he caused irreparable harm to his victims, furthermore he claimed to be moved only by the intellectual challenge and passion for hacking, and this can be found in his memoir, Ghost in the Wires, where he wrote:
“Anyone who loves to play chess knows that it is enough to defeat your opponent. It is not necessary to plunder his kingdom or to seize his possessions to make it worthy ”.
His imprisonment was the subject of much controversy, as Mitnick was subjected to particularly severe conditions, such as solitary confinement and the prohibition of using any electronic device, including the telephone, because authorities feared that Mitnick could unleash a nuclear war with a simple keystrokea fear Mitnick called “absurd.”
His story also aroused the interest and sympathy of the hacker community, which mobilized to demand his release with the “FREE KEVIN” campaign, and some of these organized demonstrations and protests in front of the prison where Mitnick was being held, while others launched cyber attacks against government and corporate sites as a sign of solidarity.
The rebirth of Kevin Mitnick
After his release in 2000, Mitnick radically changed his life and decided to put his knowledge at the service of computer security, and effectively became an “ethical hacker”, i.e. a professional who uses his skills to test the vulnerabilities and defenses of the computer networks of the companies and organizations that hire him.
In 2003, he founded his own consulting firm, Mitnick Security Consulting, which offered penetration testing, risk assessment and security training services, and not on purpose, among his clientsthere were numerous Fortune 500 companiesas well as government agencies such as the United States Department of Defense.
In 2011 he joined the KnowBe4, a company specializing in information security training, with the role of “chief hacking officer” and partial partner; this company offers courses and simulations to teach company employees how to recognize and prevent computer attacks based on social engineering, or the psychological manipulation of people to induce them to reveal confidential information or perform harmful actions.
Mitnick also dedicated himself to writing and dissemination, publishing several books on the subject of hacking and computer security, and as already mentioned several times in the course of this article, his most famous book is Ghost in the Wires, released in 2011, in which he recounts his life as a hacker and his personal and professional evolution. The book was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into several languages.
Kevin Mitnick was also an appreciated public speaker, participating in numerous events and conferences around the world, and on some occasions he demonstrated his skills as an ethical hacker live, showing how it was possible to violate computer networks or personal devices with simple but effective techniques. His goal was to raise public awareness of the risks of hacking and the best practices to adopt to protect yourself.
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