Kevin Mitnick, one of the most famous hackers of all time, died at the age of 59.has Mr. Mitnick had given an exclusive interview to Secnews.gr a few years ago and we had the honor of being the only Greek media outlet he had spoken to.
The notorious hacker most wanted , the FBI's who was on list and spent several years in prison for hacking into corporate systems, died Sunday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his family said.
As we said above, Mitnick had experienced prison and was even in solitary confinement for eight months, after hacking into mobile phones and illegally copying software .
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In his popular book "The Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker", he refers to the period when he was on the FBI's Most Wanted List.
It is worth noting that he had many supporters who said his crimes did not cause real harm and that the punishment was unnecessary. On the other hand, prosecutors had argued that he could threaten national security with his widespread access to third-party systems.
Mitnick's arrest sparked a "Free Kevin" movement.
The family thanked everyone who stood by Mitnick through everything he had been through and described his life as a "fantasy story.".
"He had so much more to live for. We know there will never be anyone like him again," the family said.
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Kevin Mitnick began his hacking career at the age of 16, when he began gaining unauthorized access to systems. His first target was a computer system used by Digital Equipment Corporation in the 1980s.
After gaining access to the company's system, he downloaded the software illegally. Authorities began searching for him and about 8 years later they arrested him. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and another three years of supervised release.
Shortly afterwards he was arrested again for hacking into Pacific Bell voicemail computers.
He escaped from the authorities and lived as a fugitive for two and a half years.
"I never wanted to hurt anyone. I was just having fun. I was the wizard who broke systems," Kevin Mitnick said in 2018, according to the Denver Post.
"Iwas targeting mobile phones and operating systems to get better at hacking."
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According to his obituary, Mitnick referred to his last "term" in prison as a "vacation.".
Later, Mitnick began to apply his knowledge and services as a White Hat or ethical hacker. He wrote 3 books about social engineering and security vulnerabilities in systems, while he also founded his own company that deals with network security issues (Mitnick Security Consulting). He also held security seminars for large companies in the field around the world.
Mr. Kevin Mitnick spoke to Secnews.gr in 2019, emphasizing the importance of security awareness. In the exclusive interview he gave us, he touched on some of the most critical and important security and risks facing companies and organizations both in Greece and globally. You can watch the interview here.
Source: www.the-sun.com
