Ghost in the Wires: The Unbelievable True Story of Kevin Mitnick’s Life as a the World’s Most Wanted Computer Hacker

DerbyCon 2.0 - The Reunion

Presented by: Kevin Mitnick
Date: Sunday September 30, 2012
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Location: Track 2
Track: Fix Me

Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world’s biggest companies—and however fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks. He spent years skipping through cyberspace, always three steps ahead and labeled unstoppable. But for Kevin, hacking wasn’t just about technological feats—it was an old fashioned confidence game that required guile and deception to trick the unwitting out of valuable information.

Driven by a powerful urge to accomplish the impossible, Mitnick blazed through computer systems and networks at several globally known corporations. But as the FBI’s net began to tighten, Kevin went on the run, engaging in an increasingly sophisticated cat-and-mouse game that led authorities through false identities, a host of cities, plenty of close shaves, and an ultimate showdown with the Feds, who would stop at nothing to bring him down.

Kevin will discuss his adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Computer Hacker.

Kevin Mitnick

With more than twenty-five years of experience in exploring computer security, Kevin Mitnick is a largely self-taught expert in exposing the vulnerabilities of complex operating systems and telecommunications devices. His hobby as an adolescent consisted of studying methods, tactics, and strategies used to circumvent computer security, and to learn more about how computer systems and telecommunication systems work. In building this body of knowledge, Kevin gained unauthorized access to computer systems at some of the largest corporations on the planet and penetrated some of the most resilient computer systems ever developed. He has used both technical and non-technical means to obtain the source code to various operating systems and telecommunications devices to study their vulnerabilities and their inner workings. As the world’s most famous (former) hacker, Kevin has been the subject of countless news and magazine articles published throughout the world. He has made guest appearances on numerous television and radio programs, offering expert commentary on issues related to information security. In addition to appearing on local network news programs, he has made appearances on 60 Minutes, The Learning Channel, Tech TV’s Screen Savers, Court TV, Good Morning America, CNN’s Burden of Proof, Street Sweep, and Talkback Live, National Public Radio, and as a guest star on ABC’s spy drama “Alias”. Mitnick has served as a keynote speaker at numerous industry events, hosted a weekly talk radio show on KFI AM 640 in Los Angeles, testified before the United States Senate, written for Harvard Business Review and spoken for Harvard Law School. His first best-selling book, The Art of Deception, was published in October 2002 by Wiley and Sons Publishers. His second title, The Art of Intrusion, was released in February 2005.


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