| Author | Kevin Mitnick,William L. Simon |
|---|---|
Publication date | August 15, 2011 |
| Website | [2] |
Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker is an autobiography of Kevin Mitnick written with co-author William Simon. It was released on 15 August 2011. It features a foreword by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak[1].
Plot
editThe book starts with Mitnick's early days,when he first developed a love for magic which ultimately resulted in an interest for computers.His hacking days started around age 11,and got converted into his prime mode of entertainment,in which he frequently indulged with his friends like Lewis De Payne.
Reception
editThe book got a very positive response.Publishers Weekly stated,"It's the piquant human element that really animates this rollicking memoir of high-tech skullduggery. Mitnick (The Art of Deception) recounts his epic illegal computer hacks of Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation, and any number of cellphone makers; his exploits triggered a manhunt that made headlines. He insists he did it not for money but for the transgressive thrill of looking at big, secret computer programs--otherwise he apparently lived a threadbare existence on the lam--and the claim rings true; there's something obsessive and pure about his need to hack and brag about it to others, habits which eventually brought about his downfall. Mitnick's hacking narratives are lucid to neophytes and catnip to people who love code, but the book's heart is his "social engineering"--his preternatural ability to schmooze and manipulate. By learning their procedures and mimicking their lingo, he gets cops, technicians, DMV functionaries, and other mandarins--his control over telephone companies is almost godlike--to divulge their secrets and do his bidding. The considerable charm of this nonstop caper saga lies in seeing the giant, faceless bureaucracies that rule and regulate us unmasked as assemblages of hapless people dancing to a plucky con man's tune." Frank Abagnale,author of the book Catch Me If You Can,said that the book was "Intriguing, insightful and extremely educational into the mind of one who truly mastered the art of social engineering with the use of a computer and modern day technologies. I strongly believe that one can learn a great deal about protecting themselves once they understand how another one perpetrates the crime."