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)

A fascinating insight into the hacker's mind

Some really incredible memoirs by one of the world's most skilled social engineers and phreakers. Mitnick shares interesting tactics he used to pull of his exploits and pranks. He talks a great deal about his intentions for his actions. Many feel that he speaks remorselessly about his crimes, but I think this is just further insight into the hacker's mind, you don't think about recourse in the moment and while this book is a memoir, he's mostly written as a retelling of the events as if they were unfolding before you. As someone with some familiarity with the things discussed in the book, I was intrigued by his thought process and his ability to rethink his tactics and pivot on a dime. Some say he is just a liar or a scammer, but this really discredits the work, skill, and brilliance involved in social engineering. I'm glad this story has a happy ending and thank the 2600 community and Emmanual Goldstein for all he did. KEVIN FREE

These hackers blow my mind how they do things

Would you consider the audio edition of Ghost in the Wires to be better than the print version?

I dont have time to read so I listen to all my books these days so I like the audible version

What about Ray Porter’s performance did you like?

Great

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The value of being a great social engineer.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book. Fascinating.

Great Book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it is a fun and relevant story to hear.

Which scene was your favorite?

Tracking down Eric.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What it means to be on the grid.

Insightful, funny and capturing

What did you love best about Ghost in the Wires?

The momentum of the book is great, keeping you captivated.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The conversational style

Have you listened to any of Ray Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I will look to in the future based on this effort.

If you could give Ghost in the Wires a new subtitle, what would it be?

Intellect without remorse

Any additional comments?

Slightly abrupt ending, but a great listen!

Told by Kevin Mitnick (official)

Where does Ghost in the Wires rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Fantrastic listen. Great to hear the story direct from the source. Brilliantly written and read.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

So good to hear how it was pulled off. Kevin did not hold back on telling the truth.

What does Ray Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well read

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

Brilliant to listen to and recommended to all retired priates / hacker from the day, telecomminication experts, security personel, lovers of social engineering and nerds.

This was a great book

Where does Ghost in the Wires rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best books I've listened to on Audible. The story and was fascinating and Ray Porter was excellent. This would have to be must listen for anyone with any sort of tech interest.

Fantastic read.

I just finished my second read through and enjoyed it just as much as my first. In a few years, I will read it again.

Awesome Narrator

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

Yes. There was so many stories that I cant remember half of them. Each one more outrageous than the last. I cant wait to read it again. It was almost like a bunch of sort stories in one book.

What other book might you compare Ghost in the Wires to and why?

Catch me if you can, or any kind of police searching for fugitive on the run story.

Which character ??? as performed by Ray Porter ??? was your favorite?

As this was an autobiography it is really the main character Kevin Mitnick that's the focus. As excited as I was to hear his adventures, I really wasn't cheering for him. He seems like a bit of a sociopath and in some strange way I feel sorry for him. He seems to lack the ability to form close bonds with other human beings of any real substance. He must be quite lonely.

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

I did. I sometimes put on audiobooks before bed and set them to go to sleep after a chapter. So often I found myself resetting the sleep feature because the stories just kept me wanting more.

Any additional comments?

One complaint I have with this book (my only complaint really) is that I dont really hear about any social engineering that went wrong. The book always points to people becoming suspicious but that Kevins wit and brilliance managed to con all of these people in to giving up private information and data. I don't doubt that this worked most of the time, but I would have liked the author to humble himself a bit and maybe shine the light on some situations that went bad (other than the ones that obviously got him arrested). There is an awful lot of bravado, however the story is still so good that I would recommend it. Even the parts of the story that become a little slow because of technical jargon were bearable. It is a credit to the amazing narrator who kept me interested throughout.

Fantastic book

I had very little interest in this book when I started listening. After 2 minutes I was hooked! An amazing story. Loved it

Good performance, USEFUL info

Excellent biography from Kevin Mitnick and very well performed by Roy Porter. I initially missed the middle six hours and never felt like I'd missed a beat. The pacing of the story kept it interesting, however it did get a bit repetitive.

As a confessed liar-extrordinaire, it was an exercise in critical thinking for the reader to decise how much of the real story is being left out or shaded to paint a positive light on our brilliant protagonist.

The tone was mostly exasperated and a bit frenetic. Recommended reading if you are interested in security design, social engineering, computer security, or hacker lore.