Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker

I had the opportunity of having Kevin deliver the keynote address at our II Information Security and Business Continuity Conference held in San José, Costa Rica on October 2003. I had heard about the "Free Kevin" movement and how this guy had been held without bail nor trial for years. I'd read "Shimmy's " version of how Kevin had been caught, but felt it was too tainted and did not paint an accurate image of who Kevin really was.Back in 2003, Kevin couldn't really talk about the places he'd hacked, nor how he'd done it, but he could explain how social engineering worked and what made companies (and people) vulnerable. His keynote proved to be an eye opener to those in attendance, but nevertheless left me curious about his time on the run, who he'd hacked and how."Ghost in the Wires", is the answer to those exact questions, given directly by Kevin. The book reads pretty much as if you're right there chatting with Kevin. For the technically inclined, there are enough references and 'pointers' that one can quickly deduce (or come up with) the rest; for those who are not into hacking or even computers, the technical references are minimal and help show that his exploits were not an easy feat.For all readers, however, the book portrays a person full of 'humanity', in the good sense of the word; a person capable of real love, full of curiosity and willingness to learn and explore, and what would prove his downfall, a belief in that friends are ultimately good, loyal and trustworthy. And as Kevin frequently points out, his mother and grandmother are his unconditional go-to support during every one of his difficult times, becoming a beacon of trust which proves to be Kevin's literal lifeline.However, if you look at what drove Kevin to hacking, it also portrays an utter failure of society in dealing with gifted individuals; from his high-school days, to his stints at college, to even the telcos, and justice system. It is very easy to understand that had 'the system' discovered Kevin and provided him with the appropriate training, learning experiences and outlets, he would have become then one of the security experts he was trying to out-fox at the time. Even in the book, we see that one of his pastimes with a hacking buddy was trying to see who could protect their systems better from the other's hacking... isn't this what a security professional does?Kevin's life is both interesting and emotional and his mesmerizing voice comes through in the book. It is a worthwhile read and a must read for security professionals and even parents with gifted children (and hyper-active, compulsive or ADD children).Although it is said that there is no honor among thieves, and this is a recurring theme throughout the book as Kevin recounts all the times fellow hackers and so-called friends and family turned on him, I am happy to call myself his friend and believe in well placed trust.

Surprisingly, for a memoir about a guy who spends most of his time sitting in front of a computer, Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker is a gripping thrill ride. And it’s a testament to Kevin Mitnick and his co-author, William Simon, that it works. In the wrong hands, the same material could easily be boring or overly technical. They found the right balance of action, technical detail, and non-hacking content to keep the story engaging. The book gives you a real sense of the hacking underworld, as well as how surprisingly easy it is to social engineer individuals, companies, and government agencies.The most surprising part of the story is how little of Mitnick’s exploits were due to what we traditionally think of as computer hacking, and how much was due to social engineering. Mitnick learned to be a master manipulator, and in this book he explains to you how he convinced cops to turn over records, trusted employees to send files to people they just met, and just about anyone to do anything over the phone. If you want to better protect yourself from social engineering, this book is a great primer. It really makes you think about how quick we are to trust someone with a bit of confidence when they know a couple details we assume they would only know if the confidence were warranted.Mitnick manages to make himself relatable. By including personal details, descriptions of family life, and imagery of his surroundings, he comes across as a regular guy. He compares his hacking activities to an addiction. I can almost buy that. He was getting notoriety, solving interesting puzzles, and probably feeling the same kind of rush that cleptomaniacs feel. It sounds like it could easily become a compulsion if you’re good at it and don’t have a certain moral wavelength turned on.And I say that last sentence carefully. Because Mitnick (as far as I know and he claims in the book) never did anything especially damaging compared to some of the other well known hackers. He says he wasn’t in it for money or to do harm, but instead to satiate his curiosity. A significant portion of the book concentrates on this fact, and how the media played up his story to make him sound a lot more evil than he deserved. And that apparently affected his prosecution by the government. John Markoff, a well known New York Times reporter at the time, is singled out for particularly incredulous stories.Yet, my biggest criticism with the book, would be Mitnick’s lack of sympathy for his victims. He spends a lot of time emphasizing how little damage he did, and almost no time apologizing for the damage that he did do. Sure, he may not have sold the source code he stole for a profit. And sure, the people he tricked mostly just had their time wasted. He didn’t actively try to ruin anybody’s life. Yet, mitigating his “work” inevitably cost companies and individual a lot of time. Employee time is money. It probably cost taxpayers millions of dollars investigating, trying him, and catching him. His exploits made people feel unsafe and caused them emotional distress. And he doesn’t seem very sorry. For that reason, I found him especially difficult to root for during the early chapters. Even his “pranks” as a teenager sometimes seemed mean spirited if I were to be on the receiving end of the frustration they caused.In the end, though, Mitnick won me over. I found his relationship with his mother and grandmother endearing. I think the way he turned his life around after getting out of prison the last time is remarkable. It seems he’s done a lot of good the last twenty years. He’s an example of why people deserve a second chance, and his book is an interesting examination of social engineering and the media-legal system complex.

This is a great book I recommend it

Que se puede decir de un libro que cuenta la vida y anécdotas del más grande y carismático Kevin M. Ampliamente recomendado para todos aquellos interesados en el arte del h4ck1ng

Çok keyifli ve akıcı üslubuyla nefis yazılmış bir eser.

I found this book very interesting. however the paper quality could be a little better

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