The man that was once considered the most notorious hacker in the world is dead.
Kevin Mitnick, famous for massive hacking sprees in the 1990s, passed away on Sunday.
Mitnick died in Pittsburgh at the age of 59, reported The Daily Beast.
A Wanted Man
Mitnick’s official title during his hacking days was “the nation’s most wanted computer outlaw.” He was a fugitive from the law for the better part of two years.
During his little spree, Mitnick gained access to roughly 20,000 credit cards, including some rather wealthy individuals. His spree did millions in damage to various companies.
When they finally caught him, he ended up doing five years in prison, but there is something interesting about this. There was never any evidence that Mitnick did any of this for personal financial gain… it was just something to do for “fun” for him.
In his memoir, he wrote, “Anyone who loves to play chess knows that it’s enough to defeat your opponent.
“You don’t have to loot his kingdom or seize his assets to make it worthwhile,” reported the New York Times.
Mitnick made several plea deals, and he ended up being released from prison in 2000 with the strict condition that he not use a cell phone or computer for three years.
While his exploits landed him in jail, they also set the foundation for a career that would provide him with considerable financial assets, the founding of KnowBe4, a cybersecurity firm. After all, who better to protect your system than the one person that could break into it at will?
Mitnick went to jail for his exploits, but today, hackers use their exploits as a sort of job interview, often being hired by the very companies they exploit, as well as being used in government service to block other hackers.
According to Mitnick’s family, he was diagnosed with cancer last year.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, who is now pregnant with their first child.
