Ask Kevin Mitnick

How about.... by Psx29 · 2003-01-20 05:03 · Score: 5, Interesting

What is the first thing that you have done with access to the internet?

Re:How about.... by EinarH · 2003-01-20 05:23 · Score: 5, Funny

He prob. had to do the same that everyone else is doing each time they are back from vaccation:-->
Delete spam. Tons of spam.

--
Melius mori in libertate quam vivere in servitute.
Re:How about.... by Eil · 2003-01-20 08:53 · Score: 5, Funny

I see it going something like this:

TechTV Host: Okay Kevin, here's your computer, you have the controls. You said you were thinking about browsing a few web sites?

Kevin: Yes. I think I'd like to try Yahoo. ...tapettytaptap... a few seconds pass

Kevin: Ah. Here we go. Hmm. This is odd, it doesn't look like the screenshots I've seen in magazines...

Kevin displays shock and surprise.

Kevin: It looks like a hundred pages of CREDIT CARD NUMBERS! Hey, what's going on!?!

Cops bust through the doors, comedy ensues.

No Offense meant, but.. by ackthpt · 2003-01-20 05:04 · Score: 5, Insightful

No offense meant,but

he has a book to sell and a consulting business to build. (Don't forget: Kevin hasn't been able to make much money for a number of years, and has a lot of lost time to make up for.)

Knowing all this as the result of your choice, would you choose this path again? If so, why?

--

A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar

Re:No Offense meant, but.. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 05:30 · Score: 5, Insightful

I don't think he chose to be kept in Federal prison without a trial for more than 4 years. I don't think he chose to have the software he downloaded (and did not distribute) valued at an amount way beyond reality because the Feds said to. I don't think he chose to have terms of his probation which kept him from using his First Amendment rights or being able to make a meaningful use of his technologic abilities.

Did he choose to be the poster-boy of government corruption when it comes to prosecution of technology-related case? I don't think so.

You're the type of person who would ask Skylarov why he chose to come to the U.S. to speak at a technology conference.
Re:No Offense meant, but.. by ackthpt · 2003-01-20 06:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

You're the type of person who would ask Skylarov why he chose to come to the U.S. to speak at a technology conference.
On the contrary, I applaud Dimitri Sklyarov and feel his work was construct, in the face of unjust legislation the USA exports and tries to exert on other peoples. It should be the choice of each sovereign nation to determine the extent of copyright/patent protection to inventors. One country, such as the USA, may attempt to hold all others in thrall as long as the life of intellectual property protection.
Besides, Kevin didn't attempt to bypass electronic IP safeguards, except as the DMCA may regard hacking. He revealed the swisscheese security of information systems in their infancy. He made people afraid, powerful people. We already, well most of us, are aware what sort of democracy-for-sale the Congress and Administration are, when their friends sneeze, they catch cold, and act within or without the law. It's a matter for the defendant to pry him/herself out of such a mess. As often as such examples play it's remarkable anyone wants to open themselves to such harrassment, particularly without alerting the ACLU or some group ahead of time that they intend to demonstrate how unjust the system is, in whole or part.
Anyone remember the 414's? A group of young men in the Milwaukee area who, when caught breaking into DEC systems wanted to sell movie rights? It wasn't too hard to figure how they did it, hell, I was admin on a DEC system and there were default passwords and field service passwords easy enough to guess. You just had to be bored and stupid enough to go trespassing.
I have plenty of sympathy for those treated unjustly, but those who go alone to spread fear among powerful interests are no more clever than a swimmer dogpaddling around in a shark tank.

--

A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar

What do you say? by PhysicsGenius · 2003-01-20 05:04 · Score: 5, Interesting

I've heard that you've expressed regret over the actions that landed you in jail and I think I even heard you say that you think you were in the wrong. So how do you respond to the hundreds of wannabes who hacked sites "in your honor" and wore "Free Kevin" shirts at the risk of repelling girls? Do you owe them anything, even a little guidance towards the straight and narrow?

Thoughts by ScannerBoy · 2003-01-20 05:05 · Score: 5, Interesting

At any point did you consider leaving the computer world behind to search out other means of makeing a living such as teaching, history, construction...?

Or is is the old, I just gotta do this feeling?

--
--Should work--

Life Without the Internet by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 05:05 · Score: 5, Interesting

In Cuckoo's Egg, Cliff Stoll siad that in some cases life is better without the internet. Did you find any advantages to life without it?

What's Different? by theGreater · 2003-01-20 05:05 · Score: 5, Interesting

I wonder what the largest single difference between going in and coming out will be for KM. What kind of access to infotech did he have while inside? Was he at least able to keep abreast of current trends?

-theGreater Ponderer.

Your finest moment in court by cluge · 2003-01-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

What would you say was your finest moment in court? While you seem to have been pretty much beat up by the court system I'm quite sure you must have had a shining moment or 2, either as a defendant, or perhaps an expert witness?

--
"Science is about ego as much as it is about discovery and truth " - I said it, so sue me.

Re:Your finest moment in court by b0r1s · 2003-01-20 05:32 · Score: 5, Interesting

And along the same lines, what are some of the more enjoyable things you've accomplished outside of court.

When you had your weekend radio show on KFI in Los Angeles, you had many stories that brought about changes in your tone, such as experiments with "drive thru"s involving intercepting and overriding the employees such that you could speak directly with the customer from a distance away. While many would argue (and I would certainly agree) that this isn't a technical marvel, it is pretty damn funny.

So, my question is: everyone knows the big things you've done that you've been punished for, what about the little things you've done that you look back on and smile about?

--
Mooniacs for iOS and Android

Yes? by egoff · 2003-01-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

How do you think that your sentence has changed you, and the way you view your society?

Do you feel... by Shads · 2003-01-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

... that current laws against technology abuse are adaquete and what kind of changes do you feel should be made if not?

--
Shadus

Skill sets? by inteller · 2003-01-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

How have you been able to maintain current skill sets while you were in the clink and after you got out? Is there any one skill set (programming, etc) that you plan to get current on?

Which OS? by DocStoner · 2003-01-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

Are you using WindowsXP, MacOS 10.2, (insert Distribution here)Linux, or your old personal favorite... Sun?
Hmmm, maybe you will try them all? You are a sneaky one.

Scapegoat Sweepstakes? by Bonker · 2003-01-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

Kevin, you've said and many of us feel that you had the book thrown at you to try to deterr other wouldbe hackers and crackers from plying their craft.

How many of the charges brought against you were unfair? What do you feel would have been a fair set of charges to levy against you?

--
The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!

The more things change... by sterno · 2003-01-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

Looking abck at the last 8 years that has left you unable to use the Internet, do you feel that this deprevation has had any positive benefits on you? Did you have to find other hobbies that you now enjoy to while away the hours you used to spend hacking?

--
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service

Re:The more things change... by jez_f · 2003-01-20 05:31 · Score: 5, Interesting
Has it been 8 years, man that makes me feel old
Q:
- A
- lot has changed online in the last 8 years, do you think that you will have any difficulty geting back into online culture, or do you intend to keep a healthy distance from it?

The slammer by UVABlows · 2003-01-20 05:07 · Score: 5, Interesting

Is the pen as bad as it is made out to be? Did you ever run in to trouble or not get along with the other inmates? Is there any advice that you can offer to any slashdotters that have to serve some time that you wish you had known?

Welcome back.

--

<high-level position here>
<name of stupid small company here>

Re:The slammer by AxelTorvalds · 2003-01-20 06:08 · Score: 5, Funny

Yeah, did you ever lie about your crimes to the inmates to gain respect with them? I understand inmates generally don't like pedophiles and that "the system" punishes them pretty harshly. How do they like super elite hackers? You ever claim you killed a man?

Your wrongs... by jamienk · 2003-01-20 05:07 · Score: 5, Interesting

2600 and others (even you) often say that it is true that you did some things that were wrong, but nothing anywhere near as bad as what you were accused of and nothing warranting the treatmeant you got. But from a self-critical point of view: what was it that you did that was "wrong" and what punishment would have been fair?

Was Your Penalty Fair and Will It Deter? by mikehihz · 2003-01-20 05:08 · Score: 5, Insightful

Seeing that you have taken some responsibility for your actions, do you think your penalty was fair and will a penalty like you received, fair or not, deter others from following in your footsteps?

Future vs Past by PovRayMan · 2003-01-20 05:08 · Score: 5, Interesting

I'm curious to know, do you believe your whole case would have been held differently had the crimes been committed in the year 2000 under newer laws rather than the ones of your time?

--
----------
Check out my blackbox styles

How do you see yourself? by Astrogen · 2003-01-20 05:08 · Score: 5, Insightful

There has been alot of press, and over the years you have been a hero, and a Martyr to thousands of geeks and hackers, in addition to phone phreaks and anti establishment movements.

In what light and or combination of these types do you see yourself now, is that different from how you were 20 years ago, and do you see yourself as a champion of these things in the future or do you intend to just mix back into society and get a "normal" life back (after your book of course)?

The speed of change by zwoelfk · 2003-01-20 05:08 · Score: 5, Interesting

Although social engineering has changed very little since before your unfortunate experience (perhaps only slightly in awareness of the value of the information), the state-of-the-art in hacking (in the more technical, not criminal sense) and even general-purpose programming has changed significantly. Do you feel as though you are at a disadvantage compared to those who have made every attempt (though truly impossible) to keep up? If so, what's your strategy for regaining your edge?

As a side note, if you're interested in game programming, let me know!! :)

still possible by adamruck · 2003-01-20 05:09 · Score: 5, Interesting

given the state of technology today, and some of the recent new laws passed, do you think that the path that you took would still be possible today?

--
Selling software wont make you money, selling a service will.

clueful authorities? by jeffy124 · 2003-01-20 05:10 · Score: 5, Interesting

Several months ago we had a warez guy in (Chris Tresco) for a /. interview, and I'd like to ask the same question I did he:

>How clueful are they?
>In your opinion, how did the each party (prosecution, your lawyer, and most
>important - the judge) look when it came to their understanding of
>technology? Did they know every nook and cranny, or seem lost in a maze of
>confusion? Do you think an understanding of the issues in question was a
>significant factor in court proceedings?

I know you spoke of this briefly in that lost chapter of your book, in that the companies who said they were victimized significantly overstated their losses (and admitted to it), and the judge went beyond prosecution's suggestion for punishment. But I'm curious to know how competent you think the feds are in these types of legal matters.

--
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.

Philosophical changes by OneStepFromElysium · 2003-01-20 05:10 · Score: 5, Interesting

Have your recent law-related experiences (for lack of a more elegant term) brought about any major philosophical changes in your life ? By this, I mean not necessarily computer related changes, but in all aspects of your perception of the world.

Did you know you'd get caught? by Motherfucking+Shit · 2003-01-20 05:10 · Score: 5, Interesting

My question, in a nutshell: Did you know that you were going to get caught?

I guess what I'm most curious about is whether you knew the risks and took them anyway, or whether you thought you were covering your tracks and that the risks were minimal. It would be interesting to know if you knew you'd eventually get busted or whether you thought you were relatively "safe" from discovery.

--
"BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.

question by BlackArrow · 2003-01-20 05:11 · Score: 5, Interesting

Do you think you made a deffinitive impact on security policies today, or do you think that most companies still have a lot to learn about security?

--
"If you only knew the POWER of the DARK SIDE!"

Seeing.. by Maeryk · 2003-01-20 05:12 · Score: 5, Interesting

As how you have spent 8 years involved in a situation that seems by all accounts to have been an overblown kangaroo court, do you feel the government needs a specific branch specifically to deal with "cybercrime", and if so, how would you see it laid out, ideally, and why?

Maeryk

--
Feminine Protection? What is that? A chartreuse flame thrower?

Was signing away your rights vs early trial by bungo · 2003-01-20 05:12 · Score: 5, Interesting

Kevin,

I enjoyed your bio, it's a pitty it was cut from your book.

Can you tell me why it was better to stay in prison and sign away your rights, than to go to trial early with a less prepared lawyer?

Weren't you just keeping yourself in prison longer that you should have been?

Do you really think that you would have got an even worse treatment if you went to trial earlier?

--
"The best part? I became an ordained minister while not wearing pants." -- CleverNickName

Question about Trust by Neck_of_the_Woods · 2003-01-20 05:12 · Score: 5, Interesting

I realize that you may have put your cracking days behind you but can you really address the question of trust in the computer security industry.

How has your move into the security industry been recieved by the establishment, and how have you been dealing with the obvious question of you being trusted in the very area you manipulated.

--
Neck_of_the_Woods
#/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead

Social Engineering by JeanBaptiste · 2003-01-20 05:13 · Score: 5, Interesting

I know that many of your exploits were due to social engineering as well as exploiting known holes in hardware/software. You write heavily about s.e. in your book as well.

Do you think that social engineering still plays as big a part now as it did in your heyday? Moreso maybe?

Published Stories vs. Reality by Dirk+Pitt · 2003-01-20 05:14 · Score: 5, Interesting

I've read a number of editorial writers that have stated that the outright menacing portrayal of you in writings such as Hafner's Cyberpunk is twisted fiction at best. To the thousands of people who've derived opinions of you based on these works, what would you say in response?

Re:How do you find it? by mstyne · 2003-01-20 05:14 · Score: 5, Funny

He loves ... San Dimas!!

--
mstyne: real name, no gimmicks

Out of the Loop by dev_sda · 2003-01-20 05:16 · Score: 5, Interesting

Kevin, you've been seperated from computers by law, yet now you are running a consulting business. This would suggest that you have some level of expertise with computer technologies that did not exist or existed in fairly immature version of their current incarnations.

How did you/do you stay current on technologies without actual experience, and was it difficult without having an opportunity to put theory into practice?

Security Precautions by DohDamit · 2003-01-20 05:16 · Score: 5, Interesting

What security precautions are you going to use to prevent bad people from hacking into your company's systems?

Social Engineering by dr_dank · 2003-01-20 05:21 · Score: 5, Interesting

I read your book and attended H2K2 last summer (I look forward to seeing you speak at the next one). I meant to ask this question to the Social Engineering panel:

Do you have any stories about Social Engineering gone awry? That is, a situation where the mark saw right through your ruse and you just couldn't pull it off.

--
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?

Welcome back Kevin by T-Kir · 2003-01-20 05:21 · Score: 5, Interesting

There was a very interesting (and well balanced) program about you I saw in England a while ago, and in it it mentioned that you were put into solitary confinement (AFAIK) for 6 months, and weren't allowed to use (let alone go near) a telephone under the misaligned fear that you could "blow up the country with one call".

My question is: How does it make you feel when there are such ignorant and misinformed people who are in a position of authority (i.e. judges, police, government) and are there any ways in which you can use your experience to change these attitudes/problems for the good?

--
Are you local? There's nothing for you here!

How Do You Plan on Getting Up to Speed? by bloxnet · 2003-01-20 05:23 · Score: 5, Interesting

If have read a bit about you, so I know that you were no slouch back in the days prior to your incarceration and release...but if you have actually stuck with the limits of your probation how are you planning to jump into consulting again?

Don't get me wrong, but you can only advise people on social engineering and easy passwords for so long...what kind of knowledge did you already have on PKI, VPNs, Firewalls, IDSes? There seems to be so much that has changed that just a cursory understanding of the principles behind these technologies does not seem sufficient to serve as a consultant (or at least one I would pay for)

Since so much has changed radically in the last few years, how have you kept up or do you plan to keep up at the moment? I can't see just reading a book on the latest OS specs and administrative tasks and being able to consult on them without hands on experience, and in your case you have quite a few years of language, os, security, and other operational technology advances to get up to speed with, etc.

So basically....what's you game plan to get back to a modern day equivalent of the proficiency you had several years ago?

Time Flies by jjwahl · 2003-01-20 05:24 · Score: 5, Interesting

Time flies and the pace of change is ever increasing in this industry. Certainly the landscape of the computer world has changed dramatically since you were last able to lay your hands on a keyboard.
Yours is a unique perspective - almost like a kid that has had full run of the candy store and was taken outside and forced to watch (face pressed to the glass). Now you're allowed back in to a drastically changed candy landscape. (Pardon the candy analogy, but I'm fond of sugary things).

In your opinion, what technology has changed the greatest since you were actively involved in the scene?

What will be your primary technology focus when you get back online - in terms of getting back up to speed?

Do you feel intimidated at the prospect of catching up on so many things? Are there areas that you will simply ignore out of necessity but would like to learn more about if you had the time?

Do you have any desire to hack just for the joy of hacking/discovery or have you been turned off of that in light of the consequences?

Thank you for your answers and welcome back!

--

You need people like me so you can point your fucking fingers, and say "that's the bad guy."

public opinion by k2enemy · 2003-01-20 05:24 · Score: 5, Interesting

you have done an amazing job at garnering support and sympathy from the public, but how will we ever know if you deserve it? the only person that knows your true motives is you. with your social engineering skills and drive to see how far you can push things, wouldn't changing an entire public's opinion be the ultimate social hack?

Addiction by SUB7IME · 2003-01-20 05:25 · Score: 5, Interesting

Commonly, high-risk activities are found to be addictive. Would you say that you were addicted to 'hacking' and social engineering? If so, did your lengthy sentence give you enough time to get over that addiction, or do you still feel the pangs of desire?

Las Vegas and the PBX by pcraven · 2003-01-20 05:27 · Score: 5, Interesting

I read a story where you were an expert witness for a trial in Las Vegas over redirected telephone calls. The defense called in to question if you really had hacked into the phone system. On a break, you ran to some old 'storage' locker and retrieved a printout of accounts and passwords or something.

What was the story behind your part that trial? (And how much stuff do you have in storage?)

Do you still have skills? by billmaly · 2003-01-20 05:27 · Score: 5, Interesting

Despite your legendary status as a cult hero within the geek community, we all know that to remain viable, we must all remain up to date on latest/greatest trends, tools, skills, terminology, etc. Let's be honest, we gain skill and knowledge re: computers by using/interfacing/reading about them. After your long absence from the computer world, how viable do you imagine yourself being? Admittedly, your name alone will open a lot of doors, but if your skills don't keep the door open, you may find yourself back outside. How have you kept current, and how do you plan to get yourself back up to speed with changes that have occured since you were forced offline?

What were you thinking? by caferace · 2003-01-20 05:28 · Score: 5, Interesting

Kevin,

During your escapades which eventually landed you in hot water, you used the EFF account at The WELL to hide the files you stole from T. Shimomura. I'm still trying to figure out why the heck you did that. A simple "last" would have shown you that that was an active account, and you could have guessed that the user was probably technically savvy enough to notice the sudden spike in disk usage. Was that just an act of hacker hubris, or were you just not paying attention? Ultimately, it's what led to your downfall (FBI monitoring your keystrokes, live tracing of IP's) so I am well and truly curious.

-jim

Re:How do you find it? by TGK · 2003-01-20 05:30 · Score: 5, Insightful

Welcome back. Things have changed a lot in the last 8 years. People with your kind of skills are becoming rarer while the number of people that commit on line "crimes" has increased.

The hot issue for many of us concerns the idea of Fair Use, copyright, and copyright enforcment. Government regulations have been changed and are changing in favor of the same kinds of large corporations that claimed huge damages against you during your less than ideal experiance with the Judidical System.

My question is this. What are your thoughts on the continued expansion of corporate copyright enforcement rights, including the legalization of some of the techniques you were convicted of using?

Do you trust corporate america to weild the tools you've used and helped pioneer and what if any regulation do you consider both accecptable and feasable?

--
Killfile(TGK)
No trees were killed in the creation of this post. However, many electrons were inconvenienced.

Technological Rip Van Winkle by tstoneman · 2003-01-20 05:30 · Score: 5, Interesting

Essentially, you have been in limbo in terms of technology for the past 8 years, having missed the biggest revolution of computing since it's inception (ie. the Internet).

I've been a hardcore programmer for the past 10 years, and even I find it difficult to keep up with all these new technologies, terms, etc, and I spend around 3 hours a night after work just dedicated to investigating new technologies.

Where you able to keep up with technology during your incarceration and probation period by just reading books, or were you even allowed to read books? How soon do you think it will take you to re-absorb enough knowledge and, more importantly, experience to make yourself useful in today's world?

Making that a question by GuyMannDude · 2003-01-20 05:46 · Score: 5, Interesting

Mr. Mitnick:

There are some people who feel that it is unfair for you to use your reputation as an infamous cracker to sell books and build your new consulting business. They argue that you are being given a level of free publicity and exposure that other law-abiding citizens simply would not receive. How would you respond to these accusations? Do they concern you at all? Deep in your heart do you feel that it's unfair you are getting all this extra-special treatment but are willing to accept it anyhow because you need whatever help you can get? Do you feel that it's acceptable to accept some unusual help building your business because you were subject to equally unusual/extreme punishment?

Moderators: this is not a troll. I think this is a legitimate question that many people here would like answered.

GMD

--
watch this

Re:Life Without the Internet - similar... by pVoid · 2003-01-20 06:07 · Score: 5, Interesting

I've seen many intelligent people get enraptured in computers, and eventually come off of the high. I am one of those people too, and despite the fact that I've made a career out of it, I've had days where I cought glimpses of another life in which I would only have the crudest computer access, and manage to be happy.

Did spending an extensive period of time away from computers make you realize that you might just move away one day? or are you still fascinated like the first geek was?

What do you have to offer by mrtroy · 2003-01-20 06:12 · Score: 5, Interesting

At the risk of destroying all of my karma and having a swarm of 2600 guys wearing free kevin shirts coming after my bandwidth I dare to ask the question which I think we are all thinking

What do you have to offer the security world after being in the clinker for so long. I do not doubt your oldschool skills in any sense, however tthe field of security and networking which you plan on consulting for has changed dramatically in the past few years.

What do you have to offer still? Despite your fame and being unargueably the cybercrime scapegoat, what skills do you possess that will benefit the security world in 2003? Have you had your relatives print 0-day exploits as well as your email? Do you have knowledge of current OS's and the security flaws they possess?

This is not a cheapshot at your abilities, however a simple question of how in the fast changing world of technology you have been able to maintain skills while not being able to touch a computer? By Moore's law you are way behind!

--
[I can picture a world without war, without hate. I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it]

Hacker by the_Bionic_lemming · 2003-01-20 06:52 · Score: 5, Interesting

The media has portrayed you as a master Hacker. Do you consider yourself a hacker? Is there a difference between social engineering and hacking? I ask becuase you indicated in an interview posted on 2600 that you were "admittedly light" in programming skills. What are your thoughts on this?

--
_ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!

What Really Happened by Tuxinatorium · 2003-01-20 13:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

The government had access to all the records that Mitnick could have used for his defense, but they arbitrarily withheld the records indefinitely. Each six months Mitnick was given the choice of going to trial with an unprepared defense and some crappy government lawyer with no access to the records necessary to prove his innoccence, or to sign a waiver allowing the government to delay the trial for another 6 months while he stayed in jail. In other words, they were just trying to fuck with him untile he broke, gave in, and pleaded guilty. They never had any intention of giving him a fair trial. It was a total mockery of the legal system and a travesty of justice.

--
Repeal the DMCA!

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