. This is the first autobiographical work of a hacker-turned-security consultant I've ever read. I could hardly put it down. The book takes us from Mitnick's journey from being a ham operator to some of his most famous and infamous hacks. What was startling to learn was the absurd nature of the comments levied against him. One law enforcement official declared he could "launch ICBM's (inter-continental ballistic missiles) by whistling into the phone". Seriously?
Mitnick was candid about his first marriage and how he naively trusted his hacking partners not to "rat" him out when in fact they did. He also made no qualms about letting the reader know he has since established relationships with some of pursuers. Most interesting was how much information he had gathered in his own defense.
There revelations of what they perceived he was capable of and what he actually did were often very different. I found it illuminating that Mitnick would mention hacking had become an "addiction", as he never sought profit or fame for his hacks. I recall seeing the "Free Kevin" bumper stickers once he was captured and wondering in astonishment how people could be demanding the release of such a dangerous person. I regarded Mitnick as person who sought to damage information systems or steal data outright. What I didn't know was Mitnick did neither. Hacking was a puzzle with dangerous consequences he became addicted to. I realize not all hackers are like Mitnick and are in it for nefarious reasons and should be treated as a threat by any security entity.
Perhaps, the most telling part of his book is learning he was great at phone system hacking otherwise known as "phreaking" but his specialty lies in "social engineering". "Social engineering" is the use of pretexts and verbal manipulation to gain access to systems through human interaction. Basically, he "conned" people into believing he was someone he wasn't to get access to all sorts of information which aided his hacking pursuits.
Overall, if you're looking for a real "page-turner" with interesting characters and an honest portrayal of Mr. Mitnick and his journey, I HIGHLY recommend this book. In celebrating this book review and our 100th post, I'm offering a $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate to the person who can solve this message:
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