Kevin Mitnick, "America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw," eluded the police, US Marshalls, and FBI for over two years after vanishing while on probation for his 1989 conviction for computer and access device fraud. His downfall was his Christmas 1994 break-in to Tsutomu Shimomura's computers in San Diego, California. Less than two months later, Tsutomu had tracked him down after a cross-country electronic pursuit. Mitnick was arrested by the FBI in Raleigh, North Carolina, on February 15th, 1995.
While he was on the run, he broke into countless computers, intercepted private electronic communications, and copied off personal and confidential materials. Among the materials he copied off and stashed in readily accessible locations around the Net were personal electronic mail, stolen passwords, and proprietary software. Much of the stolen software was the trade secret source code to key products in which companies has invested many millions of dollars of development effort in order to maintain their competitive edge. His activities on the systems he broke in to, often altering information, corrupting system software, and eavesdropping on users, sometimes prevented or impeded legitimate use. He tried to stay a step ahead of the law by using cloned cellular telephones and stolen cellular and internet service for many of his intrusions.
Mitnick was charged in North Carolina with 23 counts of access device fraud for his activities shortly before his arrest. In order to expedite his return to California, he agreed to plead guilty to one count and have his case consolidated in Los Angeles. In California, he was charged with an additional 25 counts of access device, wire, and computer fraud. On March 16, 1999, Mitnick plead guilty to five of these counts and two additional counts from the Northern District of California. He was sentenced to 46 months and three years probation, to be served in addition to eight months for his North Carolina plea and 14 months for his probation violation. He was released from prison on January 21, 2000, being eligible for early release after serving almost 60 months of his 68 month sentence.
The TimeLine
[Dec 24-25, 1994] Tsutomu goes skiing in Lake Tahoe,California; he is preparing to spend the winter there.
[Dec 26-27, 1994] Andrew calls from Tennessee to tell Tsutomu there has been a break-in. They return to San Diego.
[Dec 28-31, 1994] Tsutomu, Andrew, and others analyze data on break-in, in San Diego.
[Jan 1-16, 1995] Tsutomu gives a talk on the break-in method (IP Spoofing) at the CMAD conference.
[Jan 17-22nd, 1995] Tsutomu hears of other break-ins, talks to John Markoff about the attacks.
[Jan 23-26, 1995] Markoff publishes a story in the New York Times about the attacks. He publishes a profile of Tsutomu.
[Jan 27, Feb 8, 1995] Tsutomu's files found at the Well; Andrew goes to investigate. [Feb 9-10, 1995] Tsutomu is called in.
[Feb 11-12, 1995] Tsutomu follows the tracks of the intruder to Netcom and analyzes traffic there.
[Feb 13-14, 1995] Tsutomu correlates data with a Sprint Cellular engineer in Raleigh, narrowing the location to within a kilometer.
[Feb 15, 1995] Tsutomu goes to Raleigh. The source of the phone calls is narrowed down. There are delays with the warrants. Kevin Mitnick is captured by the FBI in Raleigh,North Carolina.
Within a month of his arrest in February of 1995, I began writing this book. I had already interviewed many of the key participants: the FBI informant sent to develop a case against Mitnick in 1992, the Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge, fellow hackers, a phone security officer, John Markoff of the New York Times, and numerous minor characters, including a pimp and an exotic dancer.
In the next few months they interviewed cellular phone investigators who had tracked Mitnick in Seattle, Washington, and Raleigh, North Carolina; an FBI agent; a U.S. Marshal; a second Assistant U.S. Attorney; the owner and managers of the Internet provider the Well; Tsutomu Shmomura; and many other individuals in the story.
It is a journalist's job to make contact with the characters who bring a landscape and culture to life, ( which in fact they didn't ) and although this story presented unusual obstacles, I've found the journey exciting. I would like to thank Kevin Mitnick and the hackers, for opening the doors to a whole new world.
-My commentary-
Tsutomu is the worlds biggest hypocrite, yet the world's most influential hacker. He has gone back to the black hat ways of hacking. So my source and other sources presume. Why did he do this? I have no clue, he's just a little prick. If my friend would've sold me out, i would keep this in my mind. . o O ( nothing is forever ); When i came back around, his face would be smashed into pieces. Sorry, i feel very strongly about back stabbing, idiotic, stupid, ignorant bitches that sell out their friends to gain credibility, or keep their own ass out of trouble.
