Hackers Essay, Research Paper

Kevin Mitnick, an unemployed computer programmer was cyberspace’s

most wanted hacker. He could easily hack into top secret security and wiretap

anybody, anywhere at anytime. When looking for information, Mitnick would

make a few phone calls to Pac Bell offices pretending to be a Pac Bell

employee. With his confidence, human nature and knowing the jargon, few

challenge him on his request for data (hackers call this social engineering).

Many people wonder what Mitnick’s motive was. For one thing it

wasn’t money. His identity to the public appeared as any average person (or

even a little below average). He drove a used car, and was living with his wife

in his mother’s apartment. On the other hand, his double life had many

identities; James Bond, a Pac Bell employee and so on. With his false identities

and his skills, he was able to get away with almost anything (that was until he

was caught). Kevin often had encounters with the FBI, but a majority of the

time, the FBI had too little evidence that Mitnick was hacking, or they didn’t

have a warrant to search him.

Throughout Mitnick’s journey, he meets a couple of interesting people;

Agent Stan Ornellas and other agents, Lewis De Payne; Mitnicks hacking

sidekick, Eric; also a computer hacker, Tsutomu Shimomura and many others.

When Mitnick finds out Eric is working for the FBI, trying to bust hackers,

Mitnick does what he can do best, he hacks, finding information on Eric. When

he finds the information he’s looking for (like a detective himself), he trys to put

the evidence where the FBI can easily find it (why should Eric be working with

FBI when he’s a hacker himself).