Kevin Mitnick is one of the best known names in the world of cybersecurity, but his fame comes more from his life as a hacker and the hacking or cyber attacks he executed in the 80's and 90's, before being arrested. Throughout his career as a hacker, Mitnick became one of the most wanted individuals by the FBI due to his extraordinary abilities to penetrate computer systems and communications networks, which generated great controversy at the time.
Mitnick began hacking as a teenager, and his first exploits were relatively simple, such as “phreaking,” which consisted of manipulating telephone lines to make free calls. However, his skill and technical knowledge evolved over time, and he began to perform much more complex hacks, affecting not only individuals, but also large companies and government institutions. Among the most common techniques he used were social engineering, which is the art of manipulating people into revealing confidential information, and footprinting, a technique for obtaining information about a system before attempting to attack it.
One of Mitnick's most famous kacheos was his intrusion into the Motorola company's networks, where he managed to gain access to key information on their systems. Through these attacks, Mitnick managed to steal valuable software, passwords and sensitive technical details from companies such as IBM, Nokia and Sun Microsystems. These attacks sent shockwaves through the technology community, not only because of Mitnick's skill, but because of companies' lack of cybersecurity preparedness.
Mitnick, known by his nickname The Most Wanted Man on the Internet, was finally caught in 1995 after being on the run for several years. The way he used networks and social engineering to hack was so sophisticated that he was considered a hacking genius. However, his capture and subsequent conviction also generated ethical debates about the seriousness of his crimes and about the judicial system in relation to cybercrimes.
After serving his sentence, Mitnick became a cybersecurity consultant and began writing about his experiences. Today, he is seen as a symbol of the paradigm shift in cybersecurity, as his case spurred the need to develop better security measures to protect computer systems. From hacker to security expert, Kevin Mitnick's story is one of redemption, learning and, above all, a warning about the importance of always being one step ahead in digital protection.
image source -
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/07/21/11/73466685-12321151-image-m-25_1689935689039[.]jpg