Kevin Mitnick, the hacker turned security consultant, is dead at 59

Writer, speaker, and security consultant Kevin Mitnick has died after a 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 59 years old.

Mitnick served nearly five years in prison for computer and wire fraud related to illegally gaining access to data, including as many as 20,000 credit card numbers, and hacking government and university networks.

After his prison release, Mitnick was prohibited from using cell phones, computers, modems, or any other devices that connect to the internet as part of his parole.

“Not being allowed to use the internet is kind of like not being allowed to use a telephone,” Mitnick told the Washington Post in 2002.

Throughout his career, Kevin Mitnick became a symbol of the hacker turned security specialist, showcasing that even those with a questionable past could positively impact the world. His knowledge and insights into the vulnerabilities of computer networks allowed him to work with organizations and governments to strengthen their digital defenses.

At the time of his death, Mitnick was CEO and chief “white hat” hacker at his own security company and chief hacking officer and co-owner at KnowBe4, a security training company. KnowBe4 CEO Stu Sjouwerman called Mitnick, “the most famous ‘social engineer’ of our time.”