zlacker

I wish I remember which book I read about Mitnick (and others).

I developed a strong dislike for Mitnick, however. As others have said, he came across as an adolescent with an over-sized ego. More "Jackass" than "Silicon Valley". Although I'm sure he's not the only "hacker" for whom illegal entry into computer systems gave him a sense of self-importance.

No thanks.

Edit: yeah, probably was "Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier". I still don't think "bullshit artist" is something to aspire to.

>>JKCalh+(OP)
Eh, social engineering was and still is a major component of infosec, right?

He was very good at that segment of the industry ("penetration testing" via social engineering).

>>JKCalh+(OP)
That was the book I remembered. Great set of stories.

>>DropIn+T3
Manipulating people is more interesting in some ways than exploiting a bit of badly written software because while I write terrible code all the time, I could fix it too but there's no patching our stupid stupid brains. We can try to be more careful, and avoid falling for things others have already, but the flaws are still there just waiting for the moment our guard is down.

>>JKCalh+(OP)
I never saw anything inspirational about what he did but it did highlight just how human fallilble our computer technology could be.

Could have got the message out in a better way but the story of him avoiding the law provides that sort of thriller plot line that engages people.

>>JKCalh+(OP)
I think it's more that he was one of the first/earliest to use technology to amplify his skills on a scale previously out of reach of most people. Coupled with the fact that he was way ahead of his opponents and a young man, it is quite understandable the path he took.no one is perfect, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

>>autoex+X6
Some human exploits can be patched, at least partially. 2FA with hardware authentication helps prevent people from leaking their own passwords and such. Phishing detectors help. Etc. I'm sad to admit my wife is better at this than me. Any time anyone she doesn't know tries to talk to her, she's quick to escape. I tend to try to politely decline, she just books it

>>8n4vid+xi
There is no patch for human stupidity.

>>retroc+po
Education is a patch. It's very hard to install though.

>>retroc+po
Against stupidity the Gods themselves contend vain.

>>8n4vid+xi
It is called a workaround not a patch.

>>celtic+V8
I think it was within reach of plenty of people but most people with that ability decided that breaking the law wasn't what they wanted to do with their lives.