Kevin Mitnick
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Handle: “The Condor”
Other Aliases: “The Darkside Hacker”
Handle Origin: Movie, “Three Days of the Condor”
Date of Birth: August 6, 1963
Current Age: (Deceased) Age 59 - July 16, 2023
Occupations: Information Technology Consultant
Weight: 4’ 11”
Origins in the Hacking World:
Kevin Mitnick originated in the hacking world by growing up in the era of
emerging technology. He was very curious and would mess around with new and
emerging phones and computer technology. He would go on to gather with
“phone phreaks” to talk about different landline pranks he used to work on
with others growing up. They additionally showed him how to make free calls,
change phone numbers, and other activities.
Arrests/Criminal Activity:
First Arrest:
Kevin Mitnick got himself into his first trouble with law enforcement when he
became one of FBI’s Most Wanted List for hacking into several major
corporations. Initially, he hacked into the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
through a telephone number to the organization RSTS/E operating system software.
He was convicted and charged for copying the organization’s software. For this
he was sentenced to 12 months in prison with three years of supervised release
afterwards.
Second Arrest:
After the end of this time period, he officially became a fugitive by hacking
into Pacific Bell voicemail computers. Through a period of around two-and-a-half
years, he continued to copy software and tamper with networks of several
organizations. On February 15, 1995, he was caught and arrested. He was later
charged in 1998 for wired fraud, unauthorized access, and several other crimes.
He later pleaded guilty in 1999 to wire and computer fraud, in addition to
illegal interception of a wire communication where he was sentenced for a total
of 66 months.
Impact on the Hacking World:
As a result of the arrest of Kevin Mitnick, there were several actions and
movements that took place. There were many that believed it was unlawful and
there were more important criminals to look after than for what he was
committing. As a result, a movement called “FREE KEVIN” started where people
went around with signs to free Kevin Mitnick from prison. There was no true
intention, apart from Kevin, to use the information that he stole for his own
betterment or to cause harm. This movement caused several parades outside
federal courthouses in fifteen different cities.
As a result of Kevin Mitnick’s arrest, in 1997 Yahoo! was hacked indicating a
worm would be released if he was not released by Christmas.
Hacking Groups:
Kevin Mitnick was part of the Global Ghost Team; a white hat hackers’ group
that help organizations find security holes through Red Team Engagement.
Personal Organization:
Kevin Mitnick created an organization named “Mitnick Security” which helped
identify and mitigate cybersecurity threats for organizations, enterprises,
and governments through his Global Ghost Team. They focused on penetration
testing, social engineering testing, and focused on influencing and providing
knowledge on cybersecurity to others.
Writing:
Kevin later went on to write several books on cybersecurity including, Ghost in
the Wires, The Art of Deception, The Art of Invisibility, and The Art of Intrusion.
Death:
Kevin Mitnick died on July 26, 2023, at the age of 59 after battling Pancreatic
Cancer.
Sources:
Kevin Mitnick. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Mitnick
Mitnick Security The Global Ghost Team. (n.d.). Kevin Mitnick:
The World’s Most Famous Hacker.
https://www.mitnicksecurity.com/about-kevin-mitnick-mitnick-security
Security, M. (2022, May 10). Why did Kevin Mitnick become a Hacker?
https://www.mitnicksecurity.com/blog/why-did-kevin-mitnick-become-a-hacker#:~:
text=Is%20Kevin%20Mitnick%20Still%20Hacking,famous%20Kevin%20Mitnick%20virtual%
20events.