Sad news from the cybersecurity industry. The former world’s most wanted hacker, Kevin Mitnick, has died at the age of 59 due to illness.
Kevin Mitnick died on July 16, 2023. According to his obituary, Mitnick battled pancreatic cancer for over a year and was undergoing treatment at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“His life story is like a fictional story,” wrote in his death obituary.
A short phrase that might be able to describe the story of this man from Los Angeles, United States during his life, especially his story in the cyber world.
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Mitnick is known as a dangerous hacker because he first infiltrated a computer system in 1979 but always got away with it. quoted The telephone from Engadget on Sunday (23/07/2023), it was not until 1988 that he was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months in prison for copying company software.
Instead of being deterred, the hacker broke into Pacific Bell’s voicemail computer and did that while being released under supervision. Then, after being declared free, the man became even more active in hacking cellular networks, as well as corporate and government websites, so that he became a wanted hacker in the 90s.
Mitnick was also involved in the theft of thousands of files and credit card numbers. However, in his obituary, the family said that Mitnick never took a penny from his victims.
After being on the run, the man who once earned the nickname Hall of Fame of Hackers was eventually arrested in 1995 and charged with illegal use of a telephone access device and computer fraud.
Authorities believed he had access to the company’s trade secrets worth millions of dollars at the time. Mitnick spent 5 years in prison, which was described as a vacation.
Since then he changed his career direction and chose to become a White Hat hacker and cybersecurity consultant. In 2011, became part owner and chief hacking officer of KnowBe4, which provides clients with security awareness training and simulated phishing platforms.
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Until finally Kevin Mitnick died a few days ago. The deceased left his wife, Kimberley Mitnick and their unborn child. [NM/IF]
