Kevin Mitnick

Kevin David Mitnick (1963 to 2023) was an American computer security consultant, author and convicted hacker. In 1995 he was arrested for a series of computer and communications related crimes, and he spent five years in prison after being convicted of fraud and of illegally intercepting communications. His pursuit, arrest, trial and sentence were all controversial, as were the media coverage, books and films that followed. His supporters argued that his punishment was excessive and that many of the charges against him were fraudulent and not based on actual losses. After his release from prison he ran his own security firm, Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC, and was also involved with other computer security businesses. His career is a standing example of how the line between hacking, crime and professional security work can be drawn very differently depending on who is doing the describing.