When he was arrested, Windows 95 had not yet been released and Mitnick, the world's number one hacker, passed away! Kevin David Mitnick, a hacker, was once trying to evade pursuit and eavesdrop on the phone of an FBI agent

On July 16, after 14 months of fighting against pancreatic cancer, Kevin David Mitnick, known as the "world's number one hacker" in the industry, died in Las Vegas at the age of 59.

At the beginning of the popularity of the Internet in the 1990s, Mitnick became one of the first hackers wanted by the FBI. After years of playing cat and mouse games, he eventually went to prison.

After being released from prison, Mitnick transformed into a respected cybersecurity expert, public speaker, and writer. Even the US legislative branch and global corporations would seek his advice and professional advice.

Previously mastered the nuclear bomb code

Almost triggered the Third World War?

Mitnick was born on August 6, 1963 in Los Angeles. His parents divorced when he was three years old. Mitnick was raised by his mother, snow pear. His mother is a waiter.

At the age of 12, Mitnick had already learned how to ride buses for free. He will use a $15 clock in machine and a blank ticket picked up from the trash can.

In high school, he became obsessed with the internal structure of telephone company switches and circuits. Mitnick's prank techniques are very clever. He once managed to tamper with people he disliked. Every time the call is answered, it will be recorded and a fee of 25 cents will be requested.

There are rumors that Mitnick once hacked into the North American Air Defense Command system at the age of 15. Despite his repeated denials, Hollywood still used this story as a prototype to shoot a movie called "War Games". The movie tells the story of a teenager who accidentally hacks into a military computer system that controls a nuclear arsenal, almost triggering World War III.

Due to this gossip, Mitnick was later imprisoned and imprisoned in a small black room for a period of time. Because prison administrators were afraid, he would really trigger the Third World War.

How to effectively evade pursuit by FBI agents?

Eavesdropping on their phones

At the age of 17, Mitnick swaggered into the Pacific Telephone Company and stole a bunch of computer manuals and passwords used to unlock office doors.

Kevin David Letnik

In the late 1980s, Mitnik successively invaded many large companies, such as Nokia, Motorola, and Novartis. He was once required to undergo psychological counseling for computer addiction.

The New York Times said that Mitnick is skilled at using outdated tactics to commit high-tech crimes. For example, he often impersonates a company executive on the other end of the phone and persuades lower level managers to hand over their passwords in order to obtain confidential information.

The most widely circulated "story" of Mitnick is how he evaded the authorities' pursuit. In 1993, Mitnick successfully took control of California's telephone system. This allows him to eavesdrop on the FBI agents pursuing him at any time and, if necessary, cause trouble for these agents.

Once, several agents thought they were finally going to catch Mitnick. A few people broke through the door and found a Middle Eastern immigrant sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Once again, using a radio scanner and homemade software, Mitnick discovered that FBI agents were approaching his home. So he fled the apartment early. When the agents arrived at the scene, they found a box of donuts waiting for them.

Make computer experts feel exhausted

It's another computer expert

On Christmas 1994, Mitnick accidentally planted the seeds for his subsequent arrest. At that time, he hacked into the computer of Japanese American computer expert Mizumi Shimura and jokingly left a message saying, "I'm still more skilled."

During his pursuit in Shimura, Mitnick left a message saying, "Dad's skills are the best in the world. If you want to catch me, it's just a daydream."

This makes Xiacun extremely angry. He immediately cancelled the cross-border skiing trip and agreed to the FBI's assistance in capturing Mitnick.

In this "online showdown," the media described Mitnick as "an unethical genius despite his exceptional skills," while Shimura Miura was described as a "conscientious bounty collector.".

In the end, Shimura Mian used self-made equipment to successfully locate the location of Mitnik.

On Valentine's Day in 1995, there was a knock on the door and Mitnick was arrested. He is accused of illegal use of telephone access devices and computer fraud.

In 1995, Letnik was arrested wearing handcuffs.

"Online Ghost" Arrested

Instead, he gained more fans

The prosecutor claimed that he had 20000 credit card numbers and passwords in his hands. These credit card owners are not without Silicon Valley tycoons. Mitnick still had millions of dollars worth of company trade secrets in his hands at the time, and his threat was too great.

During Mitnick's trial, his legendary experience also spread. He is regarded as an idol by many hackers. What Mitnick has done and what he hasn't done are all talked about by fans.

These supporters have also started using hacking techniques to attack major websites and demand the release of Mitnik. Some journalists who have reported on Mitnik have found that their emails have been made public as a price for slandering idols.

There is no evidence to suggest that Mitnick once resold the stolen documents for a large sum of money. He defended himself by stating that his hacking behavior was high-risk but harmless.

"Anyone who enjoys playing chess knows that defeating opponents is enough," Mitnick wrote in his 2011 autobiography "Online Ghost". "You don't have to show your value by looting his kingdom or taking away his assets."

In the end, Mitnick reached an agreement with the prosecution and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. In February 1995, when he was arrested, it was still the early stage of the Internet, and even the Windows 95 operating system had not been released yet. The arrest of Mitnick not only aroused people's curiosity about hackers, but also triggered discussions about the Internet.

Hackers whitewash and become "network security experts"

In 2000, Mitnick was released. However, the prosecution requires him not to come into contact with mobile phones or computers for a period of three years, unless he obtains the consent of the supervisory personnel.

When leaving prison, Mitnick read a statement, "My crime was just a simple illegal invasion." He said, "My case is about curiosity."

After Mitnick was released from prison, he quickly received a job offer from the University of California. This school was once hacked by him, and now he is hired as a cybersecurity consultant.

Quickly, Mitnick became a "white hat hacker", using his professional knowledge to legally help businesses track individuals attempting to invade their systems.

For the past 10 years, he has been the Chief Technical Officer and Partner of KnowBe4, a technology security company. This company claims to be the world's largest security awareness training provider. According to KnowBe4, Mitnik's network security training course has been adopted by over 60000 institutions.

Married with his wife last year, but the child hasn't been born yet

In later published books, Mitnick described himself as a lonely teenager who dropped out of high school and accidentally made friends from the world of telephone flyers. Telephone flyers refer to teenagers who use stolen phone codes to make free long-distance calls. Then, from the phone to the computer, he became a legendary hacker, invading voice mail and computer systems, flipping through personal files, and mocking those who opposed him.

Rebellion, recklessness, and cynicism are all labels attached to Mitnick. And he also has another side of loving life.

A passage in the obituary describes Mitnick as follows: "He had a unique and unforgettable laughter, a joyful, loud, and rumbling laughter."

"He often laughs unexpectedly, and his eyes often sparkle with mischievous light. He sees the interesting side of his compulsive perfectionism and professional ethics, and likes to laugh for himself. This is a rare quality among the best of us."

Mitnick had a brief marriage in his twenties. In 2015, he met his current wife Kimberly at a security conference in Singapore. The two got married last year after he was diagnosed with cancer. Kimberly is currently pregnant.

Laitnik and his wife Kimberly