Published October 4, 2016
MONROE, La. — Kevin Mitnick, known as the world’s most famous hacker, will deliver the keynote
address at the ULM College of Business and Social Science’s annual Business Symposium
on Thursday, October 13 at 6 p.m at the Monroe Civic Center’s Jack Howard Theatre.
Mitnick is a computer consultant and author well-known for his former corporate hacking-related
charges that landed him on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
One of Mitnick’s first controversies took place at age 13, when he bypassed the punch
card system in the Los Angeles bus system. He accomplished this by using “social engineering,”
a form of psychological manipulation of people to perform actions or reveal confidential
information.
In 1988 Mitnick was sentenced to a year in prison for breaking into Digital Equipment
Corporation’s computer network and copying their software, a crime he committed in
1979 at the age 16.
In 1995, Mitnick was charged with 14 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of possession
of unauthorized access devices, interception of wire or electronic communications,
unauthorized access to a federal computer, and causing damage to a computer.
He spent five years in prison, one year of which was spent in solitary confinement.
Mitnick claims that a prosecutor convinced a judge that he could launch nuclear missiles
by dialing into the NORAD modem and communicating with it by whistling.
Mitnick was released from prison in 2000, when he was initially forbidden to use any
communications technology other than a landline phone. He fought that decision in
court and eventually won allowance to the internet.
For seven years after his incarceration, he was prohibited from making profit from
books or films based on his illegal activities.
This ruling only temporarily stopped him from sharing his experience with the public,
as he later published three books on his experience and expertise in cyber security.
His autobiography, “Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker,”
was translated into 15 languages and made the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Apple’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak, wrote forewords for two of Mitnick’s books. Mitnick’s
fourth book is scheduled for release in 2017.
Mitnick has been called before Congress, both the House and the Senate, to testify
on security matters affecting the United States. He has appeared on numerous national
and international television and radio networks, including CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, Russia
Today, FOX News, USA Today, and many more.
Mitnick’s mission now is to educate consumers on protecting their information and
themselves from harm. He does so through his security firm, Mitnick Security Consulting,
LLC, which helps test companies’ security strengths, weaknesses, and potential loopholes.
He is the best in the world in finding holes in the system before the “bad guys” do.
Mitnick is now a trusted security consultant to many Fortune 500 companies and governments
worldwide.
He also found and leads the Global Ghost Team, a team of cyber experts who test the
security of global corporations and governments. His team maintains a one-hundred
percent track record of breaking the security of any system they are paid to hack.
Mitnick’s expertise allows him to mentor leaders, executives, and staff on both the
theory and practice of social engineering through consulting and presentations.
His presentations are similar to technology magic shows, including the latest hacking
techniques and technologies that educate and inform people.
Admission to Mitnick's keynote is free and open to the public.
For more information, please contact the College of Business & Social Sciences at
318-342-1100.
