Today, I don't have a story about a major company breach, but breaches, not a hacker, but an author of computer history. This person goes by many names Condor, phone phreaker as well as the worlds most notorious hacker. A person who would not only shape how corporate America would view security, not just computer and systems security, but socially, through their employees, as well as directly impact the first federal laws against computer hacking ever created.
In everything we do, despite how creative, the level of ingenuity or how cutting edge, there is always an historical flavoring, that is ever present, that comes from the pioneers that came before us. I am talking about the trail blazers that have helped allow us to get where we are, or helped shaped the vision of new ideas we try to bring to fruition. In this episode I briefly look at one of those trail blazers, a now reformed black-hat hacker who helped indirectly write many of the computer laws we now have, greatly influence corporations approach to security on multiple levels and all-around shape of what we have come to think of in the term “hacker”.
Kevin Mitnick is an individual who’s actions heavily shaped terms we use to describe methods of intrusion such as “hacking” and “social engineering” during his exploits in the 70’s and 80’s before these terms were even known or there was even computer laws on the books. Through his numerous hacking escapades against phone companies, mobile phone manufactures and OS vendors early in his career, or instructional books, training and speeches as a reformed black-hat hacker, Kevin has provided corporations and everyday developers alike with a wealth of information to help be better prepared.
Check out this episode to get a snapshot of Kevin’s story and his influence on the computer world we live in.
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Sources:
Wired – Selling Zero-day Exploits
CNET – Ham Operator to Fugitive to Consultant
Time Magazine – Technology: Drop the Phone
L.A. Times – Collection
Break-in
CNN – The Trials of Kevin Mitnick
Digital Trends – Q&A: The notorious Kevin Mitnick on hacking, ethics, and the future of tech
Thomas Jerry Scott: Kevin Mitnick
Book: Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker
Wikipedia – Kevin Mitnick
