For a time, Mitnick worked as a receptionist for
Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles. He broke into DEC's
computer network and copied the company's software, a crime for which he was charged and convicted in 1988. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Near the end of his supervised release, Mitnick hacked into
Pacific Bell voicemail computers. After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Mitnick fled, becoming a fugitive for two-and-a-half years. According to the
United States Department of Justice, Mitnick gained unauthorized access to dozens of computer networks while he was a fugitive. He used
cloned cellular phones to hide his location and, among other things, copied valuable proprietary software from some of the country's largest cellular telephone and computer companies. Mitnick also intercepted and stole computer
passwords, altered computer networks, and broke into and read private emails.
Arrest, conviction, and incarceration '' distributed "Free Kevin"
bumper stickers. After a well-publicized pursuit, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Mitnick on February 15, 1995, at his apartment in
Raleigh,
North Carolina on federal offenses related to a two-and-a-half-year period of computer hacking that included computer and
wire fraud. He was found with cloned cell phones, more than 100 cloned cellular phone codes, and multiple pieces of false identification. In 1998, Mitnick was charged in the
United States District Court for the Central District of California 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. As part of a
plea bargain, Mitnick pleaded guilty in 1999 to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of computer fraud, and one count of illegally intercepting a wire communication. U.S. district judge
Mariana Pfaelzer sentenced Mitnick to 46 months in federal prison plus 22 months for violating the terms of his 1989 supervised release sentence for computer fraud. He admitted to violating the terms of supervised release by hacking into
Pacific Bell voicemail and other systems and to associating with known computer hackers, in this case co-defendant Lewis De Payne. He was diagnosed with
Asperger syndrome, but it was not used as evidence because he pleaded guilty before going to trial. Mitnick served five years in prison—four-and-a-half years' pre-trial and eight months in
solitary confinement, because, according to Mitnick, law enforcement officials convinced a judge that he had the ability to "start a nuclear war by whistling into a pay phone", implying that law enforcement told the judge that he could somehow dial into the
NORAD modem via a payphone from prison and
communicate with the modem by whistling to launch
nuclear missiles. In addition, a number of media outlets reported on the unavailability of
kosher meals at the prison where he was incarcerated. Mitnick was released from prison on January 21, 2000. During his supervised release period, which ended on January 21, 2003, he was initially forbidden to use any communications technology other than a landline telephone. Under the plea deal, Mitnick was also prohibited from profiting from films or books based on his criminal activity for seven years, under a variation of the
Son of Sam law. In December 2001, a
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) judge ruled that Mitnick was sufficiently rehabilitated to possess a federally issued
amateur radio license.
Controversy Mitnick's criminal activities, arrest, and trial, along with the associated journalism, were all controversial. his supporters argue that his punishment was excessive and that many of the charges against him were fraudulent The case against Mitnick tested the new laws that had been enacted for dealing with computer crime and it raised public awareness of security involving networked computers. The controversy remains and the Mitnick story is often cited today as an example of the
influence of news media on law enforcement personnel.
Consulting After his release in 2000, Mitnick became a paid security consultant, public speaker, and author. He carried out security consulting for, performed penetration testing services, and taught social engineering classes to companies and government agencies. He ran Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, a computer security consultancy, and was part owner of KnowBe4, the provider of an integrated platform for security awareness training and
simulated phishing testing, as well as an active advisory board member at
Zimperium, a firm that develops a mobile intrusion prevention system. He resided in
Las Vegas,
Nevada. == Death ==