Kevin D. Mitnick

Kevin D. Mitnick (1963-2023) was an American computer security consultant, author, and the most famous computer hacker of the 1990s. After a series of high-profile intrusions he became a fugitive on the FBI's most-wanted list and served time in federal prison before transforming his life into a respected security career.

After his release he founded Mitnick Security Consulting and became a sought-after speaker and white-hat expert, testing organizations' defenses and teaching them how attackers actually operate. He was best known for emphasizing social engineering, the manipulation of people rather than machines, as the weakest link in any security system.

His books, written for both professionals and general readers, include The Art of Deception, The Art of Intrusion, his memoir Ghost in the Wires, and The Art of Invisibility, a practical guide to protecting personal privacy in an age of mass surveillance and data collection.

Mitnick's combination of firsthand experience and clear explanation made him one of the most recognizable figures in cybersecurity, and his work remains widely read by anyone seeking to understand how real-world attacks succeed.