The Unique Story of Kevin Mitnick’s Journey, King of the Most Wanted Hackers Who Just Passed Away at the Age of 59

Liputan6.com, Jakarta A hackers once one of the most wanted computer hackers in the world, Kevin Mitnick, died at the age of 59 on July 16, 2023.

According to his obituary, Mitnick battled pancreatic cancer for more than a year and was undergoing treatment at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

“Most of his life reads like fiction,” reads his obituary, quoted from Engadget, Friday (21/7/2023). Yes, that’s probably the perfect way to describe Mitnick’s story.

Kevin Mitnick first hacked into computer systems in 1979, but it wasn’t until 1988 that he was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months in prison for copying company software.

The man known as the king of hackers broke into Pacific Bell’s computer voicemail when released from prison under surveillance and then went on to hack mobile networks, as well as corporate and government websites, as a fugitive in the 90s.

Mitnick was also involved in the theft of thousands files and credit card numbers, but his obituary says he “never took a penny from his ‘victim’.”

The hacker was eventually caught in 1995 and charged with illegal use of a telephone access device and computer fraud. Apparently, the authorities believed he had access to the company’s multi-million dollar trade secrets at the time.