Kevin Mitnick
Encyclopedia
Kevin David Mitnick is a computer security consultant, author, and hacker
. In the late 20th century, he was convicted of various computer- and communications-related crimes. At the time of his arrest, he was the most-wanted computer criminal in the United States.
. He was enrolled at Pierce College
and UCLA. He worked as a receptionist for Stephen S. Wise Temple
for a while.
to bypass the punchcard system used in the Los Angeles
bus system. After a friendly bus driver told him where he could buy his own ticket punch, he could ride any bus in the greater LA
area using unused transfer slips he found in the trash. Social engineering became his primary method of obtaining information, including user names and passwords and modem phone numbers.
Mitnick gained unauthorized access to his first computer network in 1979, at 16, when a friend gave him the phone number for the Ark, the computer system Digital Equipment Corporation
(DEC) used for developing their RSTS/E
operating system software. He broke into DEC's computer network
and copied their software, a crime he was charged with and convicted of in 1988. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Near the end of his supervised release, Mitnick hacked into Pacific Bell
voice mail computers. After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Mitnick fled, becoming a fugitive for two and a half years.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mitnick gained unauthorized access to dozens of computer networks while he was a fugitive. He used cloned cellular phones to hide his location and, among other things, copied valuable proprietary software from some of the country's largest cellular telephone and computer companies. Mitnick also intercepted and stole computer passwords, altered computer networks, and broke into and read private e-mail. Mitnick was apprehended on Valentine's Day, 1995 in Raleigh, North Carolina
. He was found with cloned cellular phones, more than 100 clone cellular phone codes, and multiple pieces of false identification.
In 1999, Mitnick confessed to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of computer fraud and one count of illegally intercepting a wire communication, as part of a plea agreement
before the United States District Court for the Central District of California
in Los Angeles. He was sentenced to 46 months in prison
plus 22 months for violating the terms of his 1989 supervised release sentence for computer fraud. He admitted to violating the terms of supervised release by hacking into PacBell voicemail and other systems and to associating with known computer hackers, in this case co-defendant Lewis De Payne.
Mitnick served five years in prison — four and a half years pre-trial and eight months in solitary confinement
— because, according to Mitnick, law enforcement officials convinced a judge that he had the ability to "start a nuclear war by whistling into a pay phone". He was released on January 21, 2000. During his supervised release, which ended on January 21, 2003, he was initially forbidden to use any communications technology other than a landline telephone. Mitnick fought this decision in court, eventually winning a ruling in his favor, allowing him to access the Internet. Under the plea deal, Mitnick was also prohibited from profiting from films or books based on his criminal activity for seven years. Mitnick now runs Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, a computer security consultancy.
Though Mitnick has been convicted of copying software unlawfully 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
. He claims he did not use software programs or hacking tools for cracking passwords or otherwise exploiting computer or phone security.
Two books explored the allegations: John Markoff
and Tsutomu Shimomura
's Takedown, and Jonathan Littman's The Fugitive Game. Littman made four main allegations:
Further controversy came over the release of the movie based on the book by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura, with Littman alleging that portions of the film were taken from his book without permission.
The case against Mitnick tested the new laws that had been enacted for dealing with computer crime, and it raised public awareness of security involving networked computers. The controversy remains, however, and Mitnick is often cited today as an example of the quintessential computer criminal.
Supporters of Mitnick have asserted that many of the charges against him were fraudulent and not based on actual losses.
and Russell Wong
portrayed Kevin Mitnick and Tsutomu Shimomura
in the movie Track Down (known as Take Down outside the USA), which was based on the book Takedown by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura. The DVD
was released in September 2004. A fan-based documentary named Freedom Downtime
was created in response to Take Down.
Mitnick is the co-author, with William L. Simon, of two computer security
books and his autobiography:
On August 18, 2011, Mitnick appeared on The Colbert Report to talk about his new book. On August 23, Mitnick was interviewed on Coast to Coast AM
during the episode "Hacking & Technology". On August 24, he appeared on the TWiT.tv network's Triangulation episode.
On September 12, Mitnick answered readers' questions on the technology news site Slashdot
. This was the second time he was interviewed on Slashdot, the first time being in February 2003.
Mitnick is also referenced in one of the in-game emails of the videogame Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
On the Rockstar videogame Grand Theft Auto III, on the Chatterbox Radio Station (which can be accessed in-game) a paranoid caller yells "FREE KEVIN" before he's cut off by the DJ.
On the Rockstar videogame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, on the WCTR Radio Station (which can be accessed in-game) the same paranoid caller says he could "launch a nuclear attack by whistling into a phone", a clear reference to the charges thrown onto Kevin Mitnick prior incarceration.
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
. In the late 20th century, he was convicted of various computer- and communications-related crimes. At the time of his arrest, he was the most-wanted computer criminal in the United States.
Personal life
Mitnick grew up in Los Angeles and attended Monroe High SchoolMonroe High School (Los Angeles)
Monroe High School is a high school in the North Hills area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its address is 9229 Haskell Ave., North Hills, CA 91343. Home of The Vikings...
. He was enrolled at Pierce College
Pierce College
Pierce College is a community college district operating in and serving Pierce County in the U.S. state of Washington. The district consists of two main colleges, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood and Pierce College Puyallup in Puyallup, and auxiliary campuses at Fort Lewis, McChord Air...
and UCLA. He worked as a receptionist for Stephen S. Wise Temple
Stephen S. Wise Temple
Stephen S. Wise Temple is a large Reform Jewish congregation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1964 by Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin with 35 families, the congregation grew rapidly. It is variously stated to be the largest, or one of the largest, Jewish congregations in the...
for a while.
Computer hacking
At age 12, Mitnick used social engineeringSocial engineering (security)
Social engineering is commonly understood to mean the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information...
to bypass the punchcard system used in the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
bus system. After a friendly bus driver told him where he could buy his own ticket punch, he could ride any bus in the greater LA
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area using unused transfer slips he found in the trash. Social engineering became his primary method of obtaining information, including user names and passwords and modem phone numbers.
Mitnick gained unauthorized access to his first computer network in 1979, at 16, when a friend gave him the phone number for the Ark, the computer system Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
(DEC) used for developing their RSTS/E
RSTS/E
RSTS is a multi-user time-sharing operating system, developed by Digital Equipment Corporation , for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers. The first version of RSTS was implemented in 1970 by DEC software engineers that developed the TSS-8 time-sharing operating system for the PDP-8...
operating system software. He broke into DEC's computer network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
and copied their software, a crime he was charged with and convicted of in 1988. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Near the end of his supervised release, Mitnick hacked into Pacific Bell
Pacific Bell
The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
voice mail computers. After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Mitnick fled, becoming a fugitive for two and a half years.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mitnick gained unauthorized access to dozens of computer networks while he was a fugitive. He used cloned cellular phones to hide his location and, among other things, copied valuable proprietary software from some of the country's largest cellular telephone and computer companies. Mitnick also intercepted and stole computer passwords, altered computer networks, and broke into and read private e-mail. Mitnick was apprehended on Valentine's Day, 1995 in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. He was found with cloned cellular phones, more than 100 clone cellular phone codes, and multiple pieces of false identification.
Confirmed criminal acts
- Using the Los Angeles bus transfer system to get free rides
- Evading the FBIFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
- Hacking into DECDigital Equipment CorporationDigital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
system(s) to view VMSOpenVMSOpenVMS , previously known as VAX-11/VMS, VAX/VMS or VMS, is a computer server operating system that runs on VAX, Alpha and Itanium-based families of computers. Contrary to what its name suggests, OpenVMS is not open source software; however, the source listings are available for purchase...
source codeSource codeIn computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
(DEC reportedly spent $160,000 in cleanup costs) - Gaining full administrator privileges to an IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
minicomputerMinicomputerA minicomputer is a class of multi-user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the largest multi-user systems and the smallest single-user systems...
at the Computer Learning Center in Los Angeles in order to win a bet - Hacking MotorolaMotorolaMotorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, NECNEC, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
, NokiaNokiaNokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
, Sun MicrosystemsSun MicrosystemsSun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
and Fujitsu SiemensFujitsu Siemens ComputersFujitsu Siemens Computers B.V. was a Japanese and German IT vendor. The company was founded in 1999 as a 50/50 joint venture between Fujitsu Limited of Japan and Siemens AG of Germany...
systems
Alleged criminal acts
- Stole computer manuals from a Pacific BellPacific BellThe Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
telephone switching center in Los Angeles - Read the e-mail of computer security officials at MCI CommunicationsMCI CommunicationsMCI Communications Corp. was an American telecommunications company that was instrumental in legal and regulatory changes that led to the breakup of the AT&T monopoly of American telephony and ushered in the competitive long-distance telephone industry. It was headquartered in Washington,...
and DigitalDigital Equipment CorporationDigital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s... - Wiretapped the CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
DMVDepartment of Motor VehiclesIn the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada... - Made free cell phone calls
- Hacked Santa Cruz Operation, Pacific BellPacific BellThe Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
, FBIFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, NovellNovellNovell, Inc. is a multinational software and services company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Attachmate Group. It specializes in network operating systems, such as Novell NetWare; systems management solutions, such as Novell ZENworks; and collaboration solutions, such as Novell Groupwise...
, California Department of Motor VehiclesCalifornia Department of Motor VehiclesThe California Department of Motor Vehicles is the state agency responsible for the registration of motor vehicles and boats and the issuance of driver's licenses in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for regulating new car dealers , commercial cargo carriers, private driving...
, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and Los Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
systems. - Wiretapped NSA agents, according to John MarkoffJohn MarkoffJohn Markoff is a journalist best known for his work at The New York Times, and a book and series of articles about the 1990s pursuit and capture of hacker Kevin Mitnick.- Biography :...
. This was originally denied by Kevin Mitnick but later mentioned by Mitnick while listing his crimes as a juvenile in an interview with Stephen ColbertStephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
on an August 18, 2011 episode of The Colbert Report.
Arrest, conviction, and incarceration
After a well-publicized pursuit, the FBI arrested Mitnick on February 15, 1995, at his apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina, on federal offenses related to a 2½-year period of computer hacking.In 1999, Mitnick confessed to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of computer fraud and one count of illegally intercepting a wire communication, as part of a plea agreement
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
before the United States District Court for the Central District of California
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
in Los Angeles. He was sentenced to 46 months in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
plus 22 months for violating the terms of his 1989 supervised release sentence for computer fraud. He admitted to violating the terms of supervised release by hacking into PacBell voicemail and other systems and to associating with known computer hackers, in this case co-defendant Lewis De Payne.
Mitnick served five years in prison — four and a half years pre-trial and eight months in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
— because, according to Mitnick, law enforcement officials convinced a judge that he had the ability to "start a nuclear war by whistling into a pay phone". He was released on January 21, 2000. During his supervised release, which ended on January 21, 2003, he was initially forbidden to use any communications technology other than a landline telephone. Mitnick fought this decision in court, eventually winning a ruling in his favor, allowing him to access the Internet. Under the plea deal, Mitnick was also prohibited from profiting from films or books based on his criminal activity for seven years. Mitnick now runs Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, a computer security consultancy.
Controversy
Mitnick's criminal activities, arrest, and trial, along with the associated journalism were all controversial.Though Mitnick has been convicted of copying software unlawfully 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
Social engineering (security)
Social engineering is commonly understood to mean the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information...
. He claims he did not use software programs or hacking tools for cracking passwords or otherwise exploiting computer or phone security.
Two books explored the allegations: John Markoff
John Markoff
John Markoff is a journalist best known for his work at The New York Times, and a book and series of articles about the 1990s pursuit and capture of hacker Kevin Mitnick.- Biography :...
and Tsutomu Shimomura
Tsutomu Shimomura
is a Japanese scientist and computer security expert based in the United States, who became an instant celebrity when he, together with computer journalist John Markoff, tracked down and helped the FBI arrest hacker Kevin Mitnick....
's Takedown, and Jonathan Littman's The Fugitive Game. Littman made four main allegations:
- journalistic impropriety by Markoff, who had covered the case for the New York Times based on rumor and government claims, while never interviewing Mitnick himself.
- overzealous prosecution of Mitnick by the government
- mainstream media over-hyping Mitnick's actual crimes
- ShimomuraTsutomu Shimomurais a Japanese scientist and computer security expert based in the United States, who became an instant celebrity when he, together with computer journalist John Markoff, tracked down and helped the FBI arrest hacker Kevin Mitnick....
's involvement in the matter being unclear or of dubious legality
Further controversy came over the release of the movie based on the book by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura, with Littman alleging that portions of the film were taken from his book without permission.
The case against Mitnick tested the new laws that had been enacted for dealing with computer crime, and it raised public awareness of security involving networked computers. The controversy remains, however, and Mitnick is often cited today as an example of the quintessential computer criminal.
Supporters of Mitnick have asserted that many of the charges against him were fraudulent and not based on actual losses.
Media
In 2000, Skeet UlrichSkeet Ulrich
Bryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
and Russell Wong
Russell Wong
Russell Girard Wong is an American actor and photographer, as well as the brother of actor/model Michael Wong.-Biography:...
portrayed Kevin Mitnick and Tsutomu Shimomura
Tsutomu Shimomura
is a Japanese scientist and computer security expert based in the United States, who became an instant celebrity when he, together with computer journalist John Markoff, tracked down and helped the FBI arrest hacker Kevin Mitnick....
in the movie Track Down (known as Take Down outside the USA), which was based on the book Takedown by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura. The DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
was released in September 2004. A fan-based documentary named Freedom Downtime
Freedom Downtime
Freedom Downtime is a 2001 documentary film sympathetic to the convicted computer hacker Kevin Mitnick, directed by Emmanuel Goldstein and produced by 2600 Films....
was created in response to Take Down.
Mitnick is the co-author, with William L. Simon, of two computer security
Computer security
Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to...
books and his autobiography:
- The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & DeceiversThe Art of IntrusionThe Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers is a book by Kevin Mitnick that is a collection of stories about social engineering as performed by other hackers. Each story ends by summarizing insight into the attack as well as measures to defend...
- The Art of DeceptionThe Art of DeceptionThe Art of Deception is a book by Kevin Mitnick that covers the art of social engineering. Part of the book is composed of real stories, and examples of how social engineering can be combined with hacking....
- Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker
On August 18, 2011, Mitnick appeared on The Colbert Report to talk about his new book. On August 23, Mitnick was interviewed on Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
during the episode "Hacking & Technology". On August 24, he appeared on the TWiT.tv network's Triangulation episode.
On September 12, Mitnick answered readers' questions on the technology news site Slashdot
Slashdot
Slashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
. This was the second time he was interviewed on Slashdot, the first time being in February 2003.
Mitnick is also referenced in one of the in-game emails of the videogame Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
On the Rockstar videogame Grand Theft Auto III, on the Chatterbox Radio Station (which can be accessed in-game) a paranoid caller yells "FREE KEVIN" before he's cut off by the DJ.
On the Rockstar videogame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, on the WCTR Radio Station (which can be accessed in-game) the same paranoid caller says he could "launch a nuclear attack by whistling into a phone", a clear reference to the charges thrown onto Kevin Mitnick prior incarceration.
See also
- List of convicted computer criminals
- Hacker (computer security)Hacker (computer security)In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
- The Cuckoo's EggThe Cuckoo's Egg (book)The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage is a 1989 book written by Clifford Stoll. It is his first-person account of the hunt for a computer cracker who broke into a computer at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory .-Summary:Clifford Stoll managed some...
Books
- Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon, Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker, 2011, Hardback ISBN 978-0316037709
- Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon, The Art Of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind The Exploits Of Hackers, Intruders, And Deceivers, 2005, Hardback ISBN 0471782661
- Jeff GoodellJeff GoodellJeff Goodell is an American author and contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine. Goodell's recent writings focus on energy and environmental issues. In 2006 he published his most popular book to date Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future...
, The Cyberthief and the Samurai: The True Story of Kevin Mitnick-And the Man Who Hunted Him Down, 1996, ISBN 978-0440222057 - Tsutomu ShimomuraTsutomu Shimomurais a Japanese scientist and computer security expert based in the United States, who became an instant celebrity when he, together with computer journalist John Markoff, tracked down and helped the FBI arrest hacker Kevin Mitnick....
, Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick, America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw-By the Man Who Did It, 1996, ISBN 0-7868-8913-6 - Jonathan Littman, The Fugitive Game: Online with Kevin Mitnick, 1996, ISBN 0-316-52858-7
- Katie HafnerKatie HafnerKatie Hafner is a journalist who writes books and articles about technology and society. She was a technology reporter at The New York Times and was a contributing editor for Newsweek...
and John MarkoffJohn MarkoffJohn Markoff is a journalist best known for his work at The New York Times, and a book and series of articles about the 1990s pursuit and capture of hacker Kevin Mitnick.- Biography :...
, Cyber Punk - Outlaws and Hackers On The Computer Frontier, 1995, ISBN 1-872180-94-9
External links
- 2600 Live Mitnick interview, 2600 Magazine, Released January 2003, Run time: 1 hr 18 min 5 sec
- Mitnick Security Consulting (formerly known as Defensive Thinking), Kevin Mitnick's new company.
- TAKEDOWN, last accessed March 16, 2009
- A CNN Interview with Kevin Mitnick, last accessed September 15, 2006
- Freedom Downtime, the 2600 documentary.
- The Kevin Mitnick/Tsutomu Shimomura affair - lots of information on the case.
- The missing Chapter 1 of Mitnick's book
- Mitnick interview February 5, 2003
- The interview for HACK.pl
- Mitnick's testimony before US Senate Committee on Computer Security