Famed hacker Kevin Mitnick, who earned a spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, served five years in prison, then became a security consultant and author theerafter, with many other adventures along the way, is dead at 59. He had pancreatic cancer.
To know Kevin was to be enthralled, exasperated, amazed, amused, irritated, and utterly charmed – in equal measure. He was insistent upon being kept updated at all times – even when it meant dozens of phone calls in a single day to the same person – just to be sure he had all the facts. He set incredibly high standards for himself and those who worked with him, and would get lost for hours in complex problems encountered in his work. He spent much of his time working with his Global Ghost Team, an elite pentesting team that spans Argentina, Spain, Germany, Canada, and beyond. Self-educated and driven by eagerness, intense drive, immense curiosity, and seemingly endless energy, he continually expanded his skills as a hacker. He was insatiable in pushing himself, and his team, to pursue excellence in their tradecraft. Kevin was a visionary and an expert at finding a way into every organization he was authorized to hack. He used this knowledge for the greater good and to develop hacking demonstrations that educated the business world and everyday people on how to protect themselves. Kevin’s body of work inspired many individuals to pursue a career in cybersecurity – the industry upon which he leaves an indelible mark and an incredible legacy.
Only weeks ago he showed off a password cracker powered by 4090s.