“Intriguing and insightful, a look into the mind of one who truly mastered the art of social engineering with the use of a computer and modern technology. I strongly believe that we can learn a great deal about protecting ourselves once we understand how another perpetrates the crime.”
—Frank W. Abagnale, author of Catch Me if You Can
“Considering the fact that Windows 95 hadn’t even been released when federal agents finally caught up with the computer hacker Kevin Mitnick, one might assume his new memoir would be full of stale old tech-and-techniques that no one in 2011 could possibly care about. But as Mitnick makes clear here, don’t jump to conclusions…. Ghost in the Wires reads like a contemporary über-geeky thriller…. For those interested in computer history, Ghost in the Wires is a nostalgia trip to the quaint old days before hacking (and hackers) turned so malicious and financially motivated.”
—J. D. Biersdorfer, New York Times Book Review
“Years ago, I helped put Kevin Mitnick in jail. I now see this made about as much sense as arresting Dean Martin for public drunkenness. Neither of them could stop themselves. Neither was doing any real harm. And, in both cases, watching them struggle with their obsessions was hugely entertaining. Kevin’s book is certainly that. Terse and snappy, it reads like Raymond Chandler and provides detailed insight into a time in computer history that already seems quaint. Kevin Mitnick was and is a true Internet pioneer.”
—John Perry Barlow, cofounder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
“Mr. Mitnick portrays himself as worth rooting for, a savvy master rodent in a cat-and-mouse game, grinning past his whiskers as he stole the cheese from under the nose of the helpless fat cats.”
—Steven Levy, Wall Street Journal
“Mitnick was a criminal, to be sure, but he was also a visionary: Due to his hacking exploits, we have dramatically shifted how we protect online information. Ghost in the Wires is much more exciting to read than it should be—Mitnick manages to make breaking computer code sound as action-packed as robbing a bank.”
—Rachel Syme, NPR
“A fascinating… corrective to stereotypes about hackers…. A gripping story, and the most interesting parts have more to do with psychology than technology…. Fascinating and filled with insights.”
—Jesse Singal, Boston Globe
“By doing his homework and deploying simple tricks… Mitnick shows that the greatest vulnerability in any security system is human credulousness.”
—Jeffery Rosen, Washington Post
“Mitnick presents in Ghost in the Wires his brag-list of corporations fooled, and breaks up the story with dense technical explanations of the workarounds he found.”
—Ellen Wernecke, AV Club
“Mitnick is no less than a genius as he knits a story of intrigue and suspense, navigating through the mazes of high-tech companies, keeping them jumping and realizing they are not invincible… not even close…. Perhaps the greatest gift from the book is how human Kevin appears, and as readers we ride the train of emotions from him being in solitary confinement to the high of breezing past the most complex of security systems…. Great book, lots of interesting facts, a good story, and you’ll walk away amazed and proud that we aren’t always controlled by big government or corporations.”
—Mohit Kumar, Hacker News
“At last, America’s most famous hacker tells his headline-making story from his own point of view. The result is more than just a meticulous chronicle of Kevin Mitnick’s hacks—it’s an exposé of the invisible bureaucratic machinery underlying nearly every aspect of our lives, and how easily it’s subverted by a smooth-talking grifter who sees all the moving parts. A fascinating read.”
—Kevin Poulsen, author of Kingpin: How One Hacker Took Over the Billion-Dollar Cyber Crime Underground
“A thrilling true story of intrigue, suspense, and unbelievable escape, and a portrait of a visionary whose creativity, skills, and persistence forced the authorities to rethink how they pursued him, inspiring ripples that brought permanent changes in the way people and companies protect their most sensitive information.”
—Washington Examiner
“An incredible story from beginning to end. Kevin Mitnick really was the most sought-after hacker during his time. In the age now of Anonymous, Lulzsec, and others, it’s really interesting to read about how hacking and social engineering took place at a time when there wasn’t an Internet as we know it and how almost all of his exploits involved using a dial-up modem and phone numbers! For anyone interested in the mobile space, technology, or hacking, or who would love to read a true-story thriller of a man’s life on the edge of the world of hacking, I couldn’t recommend anything better than Ghost in the Wires.”
—Chris McDonald, Prjct Mobile
“Long before Google, Twitter, and Facebook, computer hackers and ‘phone phreakers’ like Mitnick relied on social cunning and technical prowess to coax confidential information from the agencies that owned it. In Ghost in the Wires Mitnick and his coauthor, William L. Simon, boldly retell the true story of how, and perhaps why, he became one of the FBI’s most elusive fugitives…. As Mitnick and Simon detail his hacking adventures and life on the lam, they artfully strike a balance between sharing enough technical detail to delight fellow hackers and maintaining a suspenseful plot to keep the less technical among us hooked.”
—Samantha Murphy, New Scientist
“An absorbing account of the author’s activities and eventual capture.”
—Rich Jaroslovsky, Bloomberg
“A quick and fascinating read…. Mitnick gives us step-by-step descriptions of his hacks and cons, as well as the details of his prolonged cat-and-mouse game with the FBI…. Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak contributes a foreword; he calls Mitnick’s story an ‘incredible, almost unbelievable tale’ and assures us that no real harm was caused by his actions. The corporations that Mitnick hacked might have a few things to say on that score—but that probably won’t stop their security teams and IT departments from ordering his book in bulk.”
—Very Short List
“His breezy, in-your-face, antiestablishment narrative will please many readers…. A lucid, brightly written tale for both techies and lay readers.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“As I turned the last page and set down Kevin Mitnick’s remarkable autobiography Ghost in the Wires, I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was 3 am. I was also struck by an odd realization: that I had read the entire book cover to cover, an accomplishment I had rarely achieved in my life…. You definitely experience right with him the intoxifying thrill of being able to control any system, manipulate any person, gain access to any information, and have so many people asking with astonishment: ‘How the f——did you do that, Kevin?’ ”
—Mark Burnett, Xato.net
“A Catch Me If You Can for the 21st century. Mitnick accessed computers at the world’s biggest companies—and always seemed to stay one step ahead of the authorities. His final showdown with the feds is the stuff of legend.”
—Dorothy Robinson, Metro (New York)
“Ghost in the Wires is an intriguing story of Mitnick’s years on the run as the FBI’s most wanted computer hacker. His real life is as exciting as any Hollywood blockbuster.”
—Jeff Eastin, creator and executive producer of USA Network’s White Collar
“Written in an entertaining pace that had me pausing at every chapter ready to discuss it with others… Ghost in the Wires is a great read that I would recommend to anybody interested in technology. The power of social engineering and the societal courtesies that conflict with security are very obvious…. Do yourself a favor and read Ghost in the Wires.”
—Jason Hamilton, 404 Tech Support
“For those who seek a better understanding of how curiosity drives people to hack and social engineer, this is a book that is worth the read.”
—Benjamin Kerensa, Technorati
“It’s the piquant human element that really animates this rollicking memoir of high-tech skullduggery…. 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…. A nonstop caper.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Mitnick’s story reads like those of Frank Abagnale Jr. and Steven Jay Russell, both con men and impostors who assumed multiple personalities. But Mitnick’s has a high-tech twist…. He reveals in minute detail how he obtained some of the most closely guarded secrets of the computer industry, how he eluded the F.B.I. for years by living complete lives under false identities, and how one corporate IT security manager ultimately beat him at his own game.”
—David Siegfried, Booklist (starred review)
“The book’s tales of technical wizardry are indeed impressive, especially to IT-savvy readers attuned to the programming key of C. But far more captivating are Mitnick’s stories of ‘social engineering’—manipulating the people behind the programs to willingly provide the confidential information he needed. He’d learn the right lingo and deftly con his unknowing targets by posing as a telephone repairman, police officer, or similar trustworthy figure…. With computer hacking still a pervasive threat in the modern business environment, Ghost in the Wires is as much a cautionary tale as it is an engaging read. His insight provides an intriguing glimpse into the obsession that drives—and past feats that inspire—the ‘ghosts’ of hacking present.”
—Kristin Baird Rattini, American Way