Kevin Mitnick

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mitnick gained unauthorized access to a computer network in 1979, at 16, when a friend gave him the telephone number for the Ark, the computer system that Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) used for developing its RSTS/E operating system software. He broke into DEC's computer network and copied the company's software, a crime for which he was charged and convicted 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 voicemail computers. After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Mitnick fled, becoming a fugitive for two-and-a-half years. According to the United States 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 emails. The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Mitnick on February 15, 1995, at his apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina on federal offenses related to a two-and-a-half-year period of computer hacking that included computer and wire fraud. He was found with cloned cell phones, more than 100 cloned cellular phone codes, and multiple pieces of false identification. In 1999, Mitnick pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of computer fraud, and one count of illegally intercepting a wire communication. U.S. district judge Mariana Pfaelzer sentenced Mitnick to 46 months in federal prison plus 22 months for violating the terms of his 1989 supervised release sentence for computer fraud. He 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 diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, but it was not used as evidence because he pleaded guilty before going to trial. Mitnick was released from prison on January 21, 2000. During his supervised release period, which ended on January 21, 2003, he was initially forbidden to use any communications technology other than a landline telephone. Under the plea deal, Mitnick was also prohibited from profiting from films or books based on his criminal activity for seven years, under a variation of the Son of Sam law. After his release in 2000, Mitnick became a security consultant, public speaker, and author. In 2002, Mitnick co-founded Defensive Thinking Inc with Alex Kasperavičius. Together they developed the Certified Social Engineering Prevention Specialist (CSEPS) program, a multi-module corporate security-awareness training course and professional certification focused on defending against social engineering attacks. Mitnick carried out security consulting, penetration testing services, and social engineering training for companies and government agencies. He ran Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, a computer security consultancy, and was part owner and Chief Hacking Officer at KnowBe4, the provider of an integrated platform for security awareness training and simulated phishing testing. He also served on the advisory board of Zimperium, a mobile security company specializing in mobile intrusion prevention systems. He resided in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mitnick died from pancreatic cancer on July 16, 2023, at the age of 59 at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hospital. At the time of his death, he was married and his wife, Kimberley Mitnick (age 36), was pregnant with their first child, a son.

Reader's Guide

Kevin Mitnick remains a pivotal and controversial figure in the history of computer hacking and cybersecurity. His case 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 surrounding his pursuit, arrest, trial, and sentence—including claims that his punishment was excessive and that many charges were fraudulent—continues to be cited as an example of the influence of news media on law enforcement personnel. After his imprisonment, Mitnick transitioned from convicted hacker to respected security consultant, author, and public speaker, co-founding Defensive Thinking Inc and developing the Certified Social Engineering Prevention Specialist (CSEPS) program, a multi-module corporate security-awareness training course and professional certification focused on defending against social engineering attacks. The curriculum covered topics such as pretexting, elicitation, psychological manipulation, dumpster diving, and organizational vulnerabilities. It was offered as a two-day boot camp costing approximately US$1,500 per attendee and included clients such as branches of the United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps. Mitnick also ran Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, was part owner and Chief Hacking Officer at KnowBe4, and served on the advisory board of Zimperium. His story, documented in books such as *Takedown* by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura and his own autobiography *Ghost in the Wires*, illustrates the complex legacy of a hacker who became a leading voice in the field he once exploited.

Did You Know?

• At age 12, Mitnick convinced a bus driver to tell him where he could buy his own ticket punch for 'a school project', and was then able to ride any bus in the greater Los Angeles area using unused transfer slips he found in a dumpster next to the bus company garage.
• Mitnick chose the nickname 'Condor' after watching the movie Three Days of the Condor.
• He was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, but it was not used as evidence because he pleaded guilty before going to trial.
• Mitnick served eight months in solitary confinement because, according to him, law enforcement officials convinced a judge that he had the ability to 'start a nuclear war by whistling into a pay phone'.
• In December 2001, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) judge ruled that Mitnick was sufficiently rehabilitated to possess a federally issued amateur radio license.