On this day in 1996 Kevin Mitnick was indicted on charges that resulted from 2 ½ years of computer hacking. Mitnick, who was known as “The Condor” and “The Darkside Hacker” was charged with 14 counts of wire fraud, 8 counts of possession of unauthorized devices, interception of wire or electronic communications, unauthorized access to a federal computer, and causing damage to a computer. The maximum possible sentence for his crimes was 200 years, but Mitnick was only sentenced to 5. He was released on January 21, 2000 but was supervised for two years before all restrictions were lifted.
Mitnick’s arrest and trial were controversial. Many supporters argued that his punishment was excessive and that many charges against him were fraudulent. Mitnick later authored a book, The Art of Deception, where he claimed he did not use software programs or hacking tools for cracking passwords.
Since 2000, Mitnick has been a professional security consultant, public speaker and author. He currently runs Mitnick Security Consulting, and has done security consulting for Fortune 500 companies and the FBI.
Kevin Mitnick – Image taken from www.nndb.com