Ghost in the Wires

Kevin Mitnick subtitles his memoir, “My adventures as the world’s most wanted hacker.” From the age of 16, he was sought after by law enforcement officials as he became addicted to first phone phreaking and then computer hacking. But during all these escapades, he never damaged or destroyed the systems he invaded.

Kevin had a need and thirst for knowledge and the intrigue of “what makes things work” – from basic phone systems and reprogramming phones to use someone else’s number to make long distance calls to downloading full network operating systems, he always wanted to know how things worked.

As a master of social engineering, he posed as managers and officials looking for information on how to access the very systems that the people he fooled tried to protect. He investigated a hacking “friend” only to find that the friend was in fact an FBI agent who was investigating him. As a result of this discovery, Kevin “disappeared” as the FBI began an all out effort to track him down and ultimately arrest him.

This is the stuff that Hollywood blockbusters are made of — and proves that truth is often more exciting.