Kevin Mitnick Totally Explained

Everything about Kevin Mitnick totally explained

Kevin David Mitnick (born August 6, 1963) is a computer security consultant and convicted criminal who was a controversial computer hacker in the late 20th century.
   In 1999, Mitnick admitted to illegally gaining access to computer networks and acquiring copies of software as part of a plea agreement before the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. Though Mitnick has been convicted of computer related crimes and possession of several forged identification documents, his supporters argue that his punishment was excessive. In his 2002 book, The Art of Deception, Mitnick states that he compromised computers solely by using passwords and codes that he gained by social engineering. It is notable that Mitnick didn't use software programs or hacking tools for cracking passwords or otherwise exploiting computer or phone security.
   Mitnick served five years in prison, of which four and a half years were pre-trial, and eight months were in solitary confinement. He was released on January 21 2000. During his supervised release, which ended on January 21, 2003, he was initially restricted from using any communications technology other than a landline telephone. Mitnick fought this decision in court, and the judge ruled in his favor, allowing him to access the Internet.
   Mitnick now runs Mitnick Security Consulting, a computer security consultancy.

Evading the FBI

Hacking into DEC system(s) to view VMS source code (DEC reportedly spent $160,000 in cleanup costs)

Read the e-mail of computer security officials at MCI Communications and Digital

Hacked SCO, PacBell, FBI, Pentagon, Novell, CA DMV, USC and Los Angeles Unified School District systems.

Kevin Mitnick myths

Hacked into NORAD and not based on actual losses.
Falsehoods have also surrounded Mitnick's exploits. For example, many mistakenly believe that Mitnick was once in the FBI's most wanted list. Federal prosecutor Kent Walker said in an interview with the New York Times that Mitnick "…was arguably the most wanted computer hacker in the world, he allegedly had access to corporate trade secrets worth millions of dollars. He was a very big threat".
Zone-H reports that on one occasion, there was a struggle between different black hat and white hat hackers when some defacers put their nicks on Mitnick's site and fans replaced the vandalized copy with an original unmodified one. This went on for a full day.

Recent activity

Kevin Mitnick is now a professional computer consultant (doing business as Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC

), and has co-authored two books on computer security: The Art of Deception (2002) (Co-authors William L. Simon and Steve Wozniak), which focuses on social engineering, and The Art of Intrusion (2005) (Co-author William L. Simon), focusing on real stories of security exploits.

He co-authored (with Alexis Kasperavicius) a social engineering prevention training course and certification: CSEPS.

On August 20 2006, a Syrian editor, Nidal Maalouf, accused Mitnick of stealing his domain name (Syria-news.com). He falsely claimed that Mitnick is the FBI's No.1 wanted person for illegal acts against a number of internet sites. Maalouf was interviewed by the local newspaper "Bourses & Markets", and the interview was quoted by Al-Ayham Saleh on his personal website.

Mitnick occasionally appears on the late night radio show Coast to Coast AM. He has also hosted the show, interviewing Steve Wozniak (on April 30 2006) and others.

Mitnick has spoken at events: IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals) Privacy Academy in Las Vegas, October, 2005 (keynote speaker); National Youth Leadership Forum on Technology in San Jose, CA, in the summer of 2004; the Fifth H.O.P.E. in New York, NY, July, 2004 (keynote speaker); ITESM Monterrey Tec, in February 2003 (keynote speaker).

Mitnick teamed with former high profile LAPD detective and globally renouned speaker, Robert Rebhan

, in a joint keynote presentation to the Trinidad & Tobago Chamber of Commerce(External Link

) on how to mitigate the risk of hacking, social engineering and electronic scams & schemes.

Kevin Mitnick was a "surprise guest" in the 40th TWiT podcast when he ran into Steve Wozniak by chance in Las Vegas. Wozniak was on the line with fellow TWiT hosts via Skype on his notebook computer, and Mitnick remained with Wozniak for much of the remainder of the show.

Kevin Mitnick appeared on "Thebroken", an online videozine marketing itself as 'borderline legal.' He appeared on the third episode of the show, but was given mention in the first.

Mitnick guest starred in a first season episode of Alias. The casting was an in-joke, since Mitnick played a CIA hacker. Due to the conditions of his parole, however, the computer he used in the scene was a prop.

Kevin Mitnick appeared on the South African actuality programme "Carte Blanche".

On 2 March, 2007, the WELL declined his application for admission, refunding his membership fee.

Mitnick teamed up with John Walsh on the November 10, 2007 episode of America's Most Wanted on a segment on Edwin Pena, another computer hacker.Further Information

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