Ghost in the Wires

My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker

By: Kevin Mitnick, William L. Simon

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world’s biggest companies—and however fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks. He spent years skipping through cyberspace, always three steps ahead and labeled unstoppable. But for Kevin, hacking wasn’t just about technological feats—it was an old fashioned confidence game that required guile and deception to trick the unwitting out of valuable information.

Driven by a powerful urge to accomplish the impossible, Mitnick bypassed security systems and blazed into major organizations including Motorola, Sun Microsystems, and Pacific Bell. But as the FBI’s net began to tighten, Kevin went on the run, engaging in an increasingly sophisticated cat-and-mouse game that led through false identities, a host of cities, plenty of close shaves, and to an ultimate showdown with the feds, who would stop at nothing to bring him down.

Ghost in the Wires is 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 the way they pursued him, inspiring ripples that brought permanent changes in the way people and companies protect their most sensitive information.

©2011 Kevin Mitnick. Foreword 2011 by Steve Wozniak (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Intriguing, insightful, and extremely educational into the mind of one who truly mastered the art of social engineering with the use of a computer and modern-day technologies. I strongly believe that one can learn a great deal about protecting themselves once they understand how another one perpetrates the crime.” (Frank W. Abagnale, author of Catch Me If You Can)

Love/Hate

What did you love best about Ghost in the Wires?

That the story stirred such deep emotions in me. I was introduced to the world of hacking.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I hated this book! But I could not stop listening as I learned about the hacking world. My son works for a huge company, when I asked him about Social Engineering he responded "Mom, EVERYONE knows about that." Well, I do now and I am disgusted.

1. I hate liars and Mr. Mitnick never seems ashamed during the book. His attitude was that he did not deserve punishment for his actions. He was in the possession of thousands of credit card numbers and SS#s and that was ok because he never used them. His thrill was in the challenge. That was NOT ok! It is terrifying.

2. He is now making mega bucks traveling the world as a consultant. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I did give this 4 stars because the story is not fiction, I learned a lot, and I could not stop listening to the book even though my blood pressure was through the roof. Would I refer this book to others? Absolutely.

Very enlightening! Good naration.

Would you listen to Ghost in the Wires again? Why?

Probably not unless I wanted to take up his 'craft'. The book was entertaining, but I rarely read non-fiction twice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

His mother and grandmother, with their willingness to love and protect him no matter what.

What about Ray Porter’s performance did you like?

He sounded like he was telling a story, not trying to read a book. It wasn't a 'stage voice' performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Once again, every time his mother or grandmother can back into the picture, you could feel the strong bond between the three of them.

Any additional comments?

It's just amazing what a person can do if they're passionate about it, whether it's right or wrong!

Mitnick - much more than a social engineer

If you could sum up Ghost in the Wires in three words, what would they be?

The story of Kevin Mitnick from high school through fugitive hacker. Some of the moves Kevin makes seem to defy logic, such as trusting a guy who betrayed him, but that is what really happened. I found myself cheering for the hacker as he eluded the Feds time and again, even though we already know the outcome.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

It's a real story that spares few details. However, there are a number of times I get the feeling there is a hell of a lot more to some of the stories than what is in the book. For instance Kevin says he read Kenny Uston's book on blackjack and was pretty good at keeping track of high cards but never seemed to leave the casino with much more than he started with. Things like this make me wonder if maybe Mitnick didn't hit the Casino's for a few grand now and then, making sure he stayed under their radar. It is a perfectly plausible assumption.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Eight months in solitary confinement. People just don't realize how horrible solitary can be.

Any additional comments?

The story is riveting and technical details are mostly excluded except for the social engineering hacks. It's almost like peering inside Kevin Mitnick's mind and seeing what makes him tick. He plays off his superior intelligence and skills as easy tricks and credits much of his hacking success to social engineering. I'm sure the book is accurate and I'm sure social engineering was a big help, but I'm also sure social engineering is just one tool in Mitnick's rather large hacking toolbox.

Great Story

Great story told by the person that lived it. I know there are a bunch of people out there that hate on Mitnick quite a bit. They have to understand that this was quite a different time and place in those days. He has a skill that all security professionals strive to sharpen. Social Engineering. This is one of the single most valuable assets a security professional can have and he stone cold nailed it back in the day. I would recommend this book highly.

Humorous tech book

The main character does a super job with a tough topic to make interesting and humorous: hacking. Super job. I learned alot about computers hacking, systems, phones and social engineering

Awesome book.

This is an awesome book. As a programmer, I was hooked from the very start. As an avid reader I loved the detail and background information. As a technologist, I appreciated the detail. I recommend it highly.

Great Narration

The Narration by Ray Porter is some of the best I've heard. The story is great and a little scary. There are points when Kevin whines about various slight or his treatment in jail, but they don't distract from the overall story. I would make this required reading for anybody that is working in Data Security.

An interesting listen, a bit technical

This was a pretty good book. I enjoyed listening to it, but at times the author got a bit technical and i could feel my eyes glassing over. The narration was decent, the story line was good. I was surprised by how many things the author was able to do in his life, and how little trouble he actually got in to, all things considered.

I couldn't stop listening!

Narration was excellent. I had to remind myself that I wasn't listening to Mitnik himself.

Technically Interesting

As someone who is not terribly familiar with hacking, it was still a very good book and entertaining to read. It was the “Catch me if you Can” of the hacking world.