Who is Kevin Mitnick?
Kevin David Mitnick is a computer security consultant and author based in America. He achieved notoriety when arrested in 1995 and imprisoned for five years because of his involvement in high-profile cybercrimes.
There was a lot of controversy concerning his arrest and trial, along with the related movies, books and news. At present, Kevin operates Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC. He is the Chief Hacking Officer and partially owns Knowbe4, a security awareness training agency. Kevin is an advisory board member of Zimperium, which develops systems that prevent mobile intrusion.
| Full Name | Kevin Mitnick |
| Profession | Information technology consultant (before, Hacker), Author |
| Popular For | Cybercrime arrest |
Birthday and Zodiac
| Age (As of 2023) | 60 years old |
| Date of Birth | August 6, 1963 |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Birth Place | Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
Education
| School/University | James Monroe High School, University of Southern California, Pierce College Library |
Physical Stats
| Height | 1.50 m |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Weight | Approx. 78 kg |
| Body Type | Athletic |
Net Worth
| Estimated Net Worth | Approx. $20 Million |
Family and Relationship
| Father | Alan Mitnick |
| Mother | Rochell Kramer |
| Wife | Bonnie Vitello (1987–1990) |
| Children | N/A |
| Siblings | N/A |
Social Media
| Social Media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter |
Biography Timeline
Kevin Mitnick is an American computer security consultant and hacker who gained notoriety in the 1990s for his high-profile computer hacking and cybercrimes. He is considered one of the most famous hackers in history and has since become a leading security consultant. Here is a detailed biography timeline for Kevin Mitnick:
1963: Kevin Mitnick was born on August 6, in Van Nuys, California.
1979: At 16, Mitnick makes his first unauthorized entry into a computer system.
1981: Mitnick is arrested for the first time for hacking into the computer system of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).
1982: Mitnick is arrested for a second time for hacking into the computer system of Pacific Bell.
1985: Mitnick is arrested for a third time for hacking into the computer system of the defence contractor, The Santa Cruz Operation.
1987: Mitnick is arrested for a fourth time for hacking into the computer systems of various companies, including Motorola, NEC, and Nokia.
1988: Mitnick goes on the run to avoid arrest and becomes one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals.
1992: Mitnick is arrested for the final time in Raleigh, North Carolina, after two and a half years on the run.
1995: Mitnick is sentenced to five years in prison and three more years of supervised release.
1999: After serving his prison sentence, Mitnick started his security consulting firm, Mitnick Security Consulting LLC.
2002: Mitnick published his first book, “The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security, ” becoming a New York Times bestseller.
2005: Mitnick publishes his second book, “The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders and Deceivers”.
2007: Mitnick co-founded the security training company KnowBe4.
2011: Mitnick publishes his third book, “Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker”.
2017: Mitnick is portrayed in the biographical crime film “The Catcher Was a Spy”, based on the life of Moe Berg.
Kevin Mitnick is a respected consultant and speaker on computer security, social engineering, and cybersecurity today. His past as a hacker has given him a unique perspective and insight into the methods and techniques used by cybercriminals.
Age, Birth Date, & Childhood
Mitnick was born on August 6, 1963. The notorious hacker grew up in Los Angeles, even if Van Nuys, California, is his birthplace. He went to James Monroe High School, which resides in Los Angeles. During that time, he was an amateur radio operator. Later, he went to Los Angeles Pierce College and then to USC. Kevin even worked as the job receptions at Stephen S. Wise Temple. The consultant belongs to the American nationality and is of white ethnicity.
Hacker
At the early age of twelve, Mitnick bypassed the L—a bus system’s punch card system. The expert could get on any bus across Los Angeles with available transfer slips. He used social engineering for such tasks and continued to use it to crack usernames, modem phone numbers and passwords. Kevin broke into a computer network in 1979; a friend provided him with the contact number of Ark, and he hacked the computer network of the Digital Equipment Corporation. Mitnick prepared a copy of the computer software, so he was arrested and sentenced to twelve months in prison and supervised release of three years.
Later, he hacked the voicemail computers of Pacific Bell. As per the U.S. Department of Justice, Kevin failed many computer networks and copied software codes of large computer and cell phone companies. The FBI got hold of Mitnick 1995 in his North Carolina home and arrested him for computer & wire fraud. He even hacked Yahoo. The hacker went to prison for his deeds. In 1999, Kevin pleaded guilty to wire fraud and other computer-related crimes. He received a sentence of forty-six months ‘ imprisonment and twenty-two months since he violated the rules of his 1989 supervised release concerning computer fraud. Mitnick was in jail for five years; he stayed in solitary confinement for eight months. Mitnick exited prison in 2000 and was not allowed to use communications technology for three years. He challenged this decision and won the case for permission to use it later.
Business Card & Security Awareness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFGve5MUUnE Mitnick has been a top-tier security consultant since 2000. He has released books on security awareness and is a public speaker. Mitnick currently provides consulting to Fortune 500 companies along with the FBI. He gives social engineering lessons to big companies, including government agencies. His company is in Nevada now. Mitnick has customizable metal business cards which serve the purpose of lock-picking kits, too.
Movie
In the 2004 movie Track Down, Russell Wong and Skeet Urich played the roles of Kevin and Tsutomu Shimomura. Later, 2600: The Hacker Quarterly released a documentary, Freedom Downtime after Track Down. The movie is popular as Takedown in the U.S. The account of Mitnick is an inspiration for Ed Piskor’s novel on hackers and Wizzywig. Mitnick appeared in Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World- a 2016 documentary by Werner Herzog.
Books
Alongside the authors Robert Vamosi and Willian L. Simon, Mitnick wrote his autobiography and his computer security books. His first book was “The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security”. The second book was released in 2005; it is “The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers”. His 2011 book, “Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker, ” was an autobiography. Mitnick’s recent book came in 2017- The Art of Invisibility.
Kevin Authorized the book named “The Fugitive Game: Online with Kevin Mitnick” (1996). Jonathan Littman, the book’s author, portrays Kevin’s account.
Net Worth
Kevin Mitnick earns a fortune from his consulting job. His estimated net worth is around USD five million. His primary source of income is his security consulting company.
Some Facts
- He is the most famous hacker in the world.
- Kevin caters to high-end buyers with his consulting service.
- You can find him on Instagram @kevinmitnick.official
Frequently Asked Questions
Kevin has a net worth of $20 million.
Kevin has an annual income of $8 million.