Kevin David Mitnick
Born	(1963-08-06) August 6, 1963 (age 48) Los Angeles
Occupation	Computer Consultant Author
Website
mitnicksecurity.com

Kevin David Mitnick (born on August 6, 1963) is an American computer security consultant, author, and hacker. In the late 20th century, he was convicted of various computer and communications-related crimes. At the time of his arrest, he was the most-wanted computer criminal in the United States.^[1]

Personal life[link]

Mitnick grew up in Los Angeles and attended Monroe High School.^[2] He was enrolled at Pierce College and USC.^[2] He worked as a receptionist for Stephen S. Wise Temple for a while.^[2]

Computer hacking[link]

At age 12, Mitnick used social engineering to bypass the punchcard system used in the Los Angeles bus system. After a friendly bus driver told him where he could buy his own ticket punch, he could ride any bus in the greater LA area using unused transfer slips he found in the trash. Social engineering became his primary method of obtaining information, including user names and passwords and modem phone numbers.^[3]

Mitnick first gained unauthorized access to a computer network in 1979, at 16, when a friend gave him the phone number for the Ark, the computer system Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) used for developing their RSTS/E operating system software. He broke into DEC's computer network and copied their software, a crime he was charged with and convicted of in 1988. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Near the end of his supervised release, Mitnick hacked into Pacific Bell voice mail computers. After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Mitnick fled, becoming a fugitive for two and a half years.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mitnick gained unauthorized access to dozens of computer networks while he was a fugitive. He used cloned cellular phones to hide his location and, among other things, copied valuable proprietary software from some of the country's largest cellular telephone and computer companies. Mitnick also intercepted and stole computer passwords, altered computer networks, and broke into and read private e-mail. Mitnick was apprehended on February 15, 1995 in Raleigh, North Carolina.^[4] He was found with cloned cellular phones, more than 100 clone cellular phone codes, and multiple pieces of false identification.^[5]

Confirmed criminal acts[link]

• Using the Los Angeles bus transfer system to get free rides^[6]
• Evading the FBI^[7]
• Hacking into DEC system(s) to view VMS source code (DEC reportedly spent $160,000 in cleanup costs)^[6][7]
• Gaining full administrator privileges to an IBM minicomputer at the Computer Learning Center in Los Angeles in order to win a bet^[6]
• Hacking Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Sun Microsystems and Fujitsu Siemens systems^[7]

Alleged criminal acts[link]

• Stole computer manuals from a Pacific Bell telephone switching center in Los Angeles^[8]
• Read the e-mail of computer security officials at MCI Communications and Digital^[8]
• Wiretapped the California DMV^[8]
• Made free cell phone calls^[9]
• Hacked Santa Cruz Operation, Pacific Bell, FBI, Pentagon, Novell, California Department of Motor Vehicles, University of Southern California and Los Angeles Unified School District systems.
• Wiretapped NSA agents, according to John Markoff.^[8] This was originally denied by Kevin Mitnick^[10] but later mentioned by Mitnick while listing his crimes as a juvenile in an interview with Stephen Colbert on an August 18, 2011 episode of The Colbert Report.

Arrest, conviction, and incarceration[link]

After a well-publicized pursuit, the FBI arrested Mitnick on February 15, 1995, at his apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina, on federal offenses related to a 2½-year period of computer hacking.^[11]

In 1999, Mitnick confessed to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of computer fraud and one count of illegally intercepting a wire communication, as part of a plea agreement before the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. He was sentenced to 46 months in prison plus 22 months for violating the terms of his 1989 supervised release sentence for computer fraud. He admitted to violating the terms of supervised release by hacking into PacBell voicemail and other systems and to associating with known computer hackers, in this case co-defendant Lewis De Payne.

Mitnick served five years in prison — four and a half years pre-trial and eight months in solitary confinement — because, according to Mitnick, law enforcement officials convinced a judge that he had the ability to "start a nuclear war by whistling into a pay phone".^[12] He was released on January 21, 2000. During his supervised release, which ended on January 21, 2003, he was initially forbidden to use any communications technology other than a landline telephone. Mitnick fought this decision in court, eventually winning a ruling in his favor, allowing him to access the Internet. Under the plea deal, Mitnick was also prohibited from profiting from films or books based on his criminal activity for seven years. Mitnick now runs Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, a computer security consultancy.

Controversy[link]

Mitnick's criminal activities, arrest, and trial, along with the associated journalism were all controversial.

Though Mitnick has been convicted of copying software unlawfully and possession of several forged identification documents, his supporters argue that his punishment was excessive. In his 2002 book, The Art of Deception, Mitnick states that he compromised computers solely by using passwords and codes that he gained by social engineering. He claims he did not use software programs or hacking tools for cracking passwords or otherwise exploiting computer or phone security.

Two books explored the allegations: John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura's Takedown, and Jonathan Littman's The Fugitive Game. Littman made four main allegations:

• journalistic impropriety by Markoff, who had covered the case for the New York Times based on rumor and government claims, while never interviewing Mitnick himself.
• overzealous prosecution of Mitnick by the government
• mainstream media over-hyping Mitnick's actual crimes
• Shimomura's involvement in the matter being unclear or of dubious legality

Further controversy came over the release of the movie based on the book by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura, with Littman alleging that portions of the film were taken from his book without permission. In addition, a number of media outlets reported on the unavailability of Kosher meals at the prison where he was incarcerated.^[13]

The case against Mitnick tested the new laws that had been enacted for dealing with computer crime, and it raised public awareness of security involving networked computers. The controversy remains, however, and Mitnick is often cited today as an example of the quintessential computer criminal.

Supporters of Mitnick have asserted that many of the charges against him were fraudulent^[14] and not based on actual losses.^[15]

Media[link]

Adrian Lamo, Kevin Mitnick and Kevin Poulsen (photo ca. 2001)

In 2000, Skeet Ulrich and Russell Wong portrayed Kevin Mitnick and Tsutomu Shimomura in the movie Track Down (known as Take Down outside the USA), which was based on the book Takedown by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura. The DVD was released in September 2004.^[16] A fan-based documentary named Freedom Downtime was created in response to Takedown.

Mitnick is the co-author, with William L. Simon, of two computer security books and his autobiography:

• The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers^[17]
• The Art of Deception^[18]
• Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker^[19]

On August 18, 2011, Mitnick appeared on The Colbert Report to talk about his new book.^[20] On August 23, Mitnick was interviewed on Coast to Coast AM during the episode "Hacking & Technology".^[21] On August 24, he appeared on the TWiT.tv network's Triangulation episode.^[22]

On September 12, Mitnick answered readers' questions on the technology news site Slashdot.^[23] This was the second time he was interviewed on Slashdot, the first time being in February 2003.^[24]

Mitnick is also referenced in one of the in-game emails of the videogame Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

On the Rockstar videogame Grand Theft Auto III, on the Chatterbox Radio Station (which can be accessed in-game) a paranoid caller yells "FREE KEVIN" before he's cut off by the DJ.

On the Rockstar videogame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, on the WCTR Radio Station (which can be accessed in-game) the same paranoid caller says he could "launch a nuclear attack by whistling into a phone", a clear reference to the charges thrown onto Kevin Mitnick prior incarceration.

In the 2004 videogame Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines a character named Mitnick provides optional hacking-related quests.

In July 2009 Mitnick's servers for his domains mitnicksecurity.com, mitsec.com, kevinmitnick.com and others were compromised under root privileges. This compromise was subject of the ZF05 (Zero For 0wned, 5) issue.^[25]

See also[link]

• Hacker (computer security)
• List of convicted computer criminals
• The Cuckoo's Egg

Notes[link]

References[link]

Books[link]

Articles[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kevin Mitnick

• official website

David Kennedy

Born	(1953-01-15) 15 January 1953 (age 59)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Irish
Active years	1980
Teams	Shadow
Races	7 (0 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1980 Argentine Grand Prix
Last race	1980 French Grand Prix

David Kennedy (born January 15, 1953 in Sligo) is a former racing driver from Ireland. He was one of his country's first Grand Prix drivers, and is widely seen as having helped pioneer the Irish move into international racing.^{[citation needed]}

Kennedy was in the vanguard of a wave of 1970s Irish international racing talent and became Ireland's first winner of a British single seater championship when he won the RAC and Townsend Thoresen Formula Ford 1600 Championships in 1976 driving a Crossle-Minister 30F. He also finished a close second in the European FF1600 series that year. In 1977 he graduated to the factory supported AFMP March European Formula 3 team but the squad folded early in the year and Kennedy soon switched to the small Argo team, scoring a number of giant killing results with the Jo Marquart designed JM1 chassis.

He finished sixth in the series in 1978 but switched to the British Formula One series before the end of the year scoring a win on his debut with a Theodore Racing run Wolf WR3 at Snetterton. He finished runner up in British F1 in 1979 which helped him to moved into Grand Prix racing with the Shadow team in 1980. However, the team was chronically underfunded and had a poorly-engineered DN11 chassis. Teddy Yip of Theodore Racing fame took over ownership of the team after a few races but a new DN12 design turned out to be a similar disappointment. Kennedy did qualify and race in the 1980 Spanish Grand Prix, an event subsequently stripped of its World Championship status.

After a part season of Can Am racing in 1981 with a Frissbee, Kennedy returned to Europe and went on to forge a successful career in sportscar racing, latterly with the Mazda factory team with whom he raced extensively at Le Mans, Japan and the world sportscar championship.

Since 1995 Kennedy has been a Formula One commentator for Irish television, first with RTÉ and more recently with Setanta Sports. He also regularly writes a column for the Sunday Independent newspaper. He also did some testing with the Jordan Grand Prix F1 team, mainly for television programme features, in the late 1990s.

Complete Formula One results[link]

(key)

References[link]

• Profile at F1 Rejects

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Emmanuel Goldstein is a character in George Orwell's classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. He is the number one enemy of the people according to Big Brother and the Party, who heads a mysterious and possibly fictitious anti-party organization called The Brotherhood. Despite being a key part of the story, he is only actually seen and heard on telescreen, and may in fact be nothing more than a useful propaganda fabrication of the Ministry of Truth.

However, Goldstein's persona as an enemy of the state serves to distract, unite and focus the anger of the people of Oceania. Ostensibly, Goldstein serves an important role as both a convenient scapegoat for the totalitarian regime in 1984, and justifying reason for more military buildup, surveillance and elimination of civil liberties.

Character[link]

In the novel, Goldstein is rumoured to be a former top member of the ruling (and sole) Party who had broken away early in the movement and started an organization known as "The Brotherhood", dedicated to the fall of The Party. The novel raises but leaves unanswered the questions of whether Goldstein, "The Brotherhood," or even "Big Brother" really exist.

Each member of "The Brotherhood" is required to read The Book, supposedly written by Goldstein, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism. Each person is said to have three or four contacts at one time which are replaced as people disappear, so that if a member is captured, he can only give up three or four others.

Goldstein is always the subject of the "Two Minutes Hate," a daily, 2-minute period beginning at 11:00 AM at which a purported image of Goldstein is shown on the telescreen (a one-channel television with surveillance devices in it that cannot be turned off). The reader may surmise that a political opposition to Big Brother—namely, Goldstein—was psychologically necessary in order to provide an internal enemy posing a threat to the rule of the Party; the constantly reiterated ritual of the Two Minutes Hate help ensure that popular support for and devotion towards Big Brother is continuous.

It is never revealed whether Goldstein really exists. In fact, Inner Party member O'Brien adamantly refuses to reveal whether The Brotherhood truly exists when asked by Winston in the torture room:

Winston: Does the Brotherhood exist?

O'Brien: That, Winston, you will never know. If we choose to set you free when we have finished with you, and if you live to be ninety years old, still you will never learn whether the answer to that question is Yes or No. As long as you live it will be an unsolved riddle in your mind.

Although O'Brien claims to have collaborated in writing the book himself, his statement still leaves the questions of Goldstein and the Brotherhood's existence unanswered, as it could have been an untrue statement made by O'Brien in order to manipulate Winston's thinking and break his spirit.

Leon Trotsky as potential real-life origin[link]

Not long after the novel's appearance,^[1] a number of contemporary commentators noticed that the biography, appearance, writing style and political thought of Emmanuel Goldstein closely paralleled Leon Trotsky's. In 1954, Isaac Deutscher wrote that "The Book" in 1984 was intended as a "paraphrase" of Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed.^[2] In 1956, Irving Howe described Goldstein's book as "clearly a replica" of Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed, writing that the parts that seemed to be imitating Trotsky were "among the best passages" of the novel.^[3] Harold Bloom described Goldstein's book as a "parody" of The Revolution Betrayed, noting that Orwell was deeply ambivalent about Trotsky.^[4] Christopher Hitchens likewise wrote that the character is based on Trotsky.^[5]

Born Lev Bronshtein, Trotsky was a close associate of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, and after Joseph Stalin came to power in the 1920s, Trotsky was branded a traitor and expelled from the Soviet Union. Denouncing Stalin from exile, Trotsky agreed to testify before the House Unamerican Activities Committee 1939,^[6] though he ultimately was refused entry to America and was murdered in Mexico in 1940 by Ramón Mercader.

Orwell wrote of Trotskyism that:

[T]he fact that Trotskyists are everywhere a persecuted minority, and that the accusation usually made against them, i.e. of collaborating with the Fascists, is obviously false, creates an impression that Trotskyism is intellectually and morally superior to Communism [i.e. supporters of Stalin]; but it is doubtful whether there is much difference.^[7]

Contemporary comparisons[link]

Richard Nixon[link]

The widespread vilification of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal inspired commentary comparing his treatment in the media with the Two Minutes Hate sessions focused on Emmanuel Goldstein.^[8][9] Nixon's earlier decision to go to China, long considered a Cold War foe, had earlier inspired comparisons with Emmanuel Goldstein's analysis of the shifting alliances of the three superpowers in Nineteen Eighty-Four.^[10]

Osama bin Laden[link]

Goldstein has also been compared to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

"Goldstein is the Osama Bin Laden figure in Orwell’s novel, an extremely elusive person who is never seen, never captured, but believed by the leadership of Oceania to be still alive and hatching his conspiracies: perhaps somewhere beyond the sea, under the protection of his foreign paymasters. Since Goldstein is never captured, the battle against his crimes, treacheries, sabotages must never end."^[11]

Drawing parallels between Goldstein and bin Laden a week after the September 11 attacks, Professor William L. Anderson at Frostburg State University wrote a column for LewRockwell.com entitled "Osama and Goldstein".^[12]

Legal scholar Cass Sunstein, in his 2009 book Worst-Case Scenarios, coined the term "Goldstein Effect", described as "the ability to intensify public concern by giving a definite face to the adversary, specifying a human source of the underlying threat."^[13] According to Sunstein, since the U.S.-led War on Terror so heavily associated terrorism with bin Laden, the outrage intensified in similar ways as displayed in 1984. However, he also pointed out how Saddam Hussein, to a great degree, and George W. Bush (to a much lesser degree) had been subject to the same Goldstein Effect.^[13]

See also[link]

• Eric Corley - hacker using Emmanuel Goldstein as a pseudonym
• Notes on Nationalism - Orwell essay, discusses Trotsky

References[link]

External links[link]

• Emmanuel Goldstein: War is Peace. George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part II, Chapter 9.
• Emmanuel Goldstein: Ignorance is Strength. George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part II, Chapter 9.