Kevin Mitnick

“At the end of the day, my goal was to be the best hacker.”

“I went from being a kid who loved to perform magic tricks to becoming the world's most notorious hacker, feared by corporations and the government.”

“A hacker doesn't deliberately destroy data or profit from his activities.”

“Should we fear hackers? Intention is at the heart of this discussion.”

“Are hackers a threat? The degree of threat presented by any conduct, whether legal or illegal, depends on the actions and intent of the individual and the harm they cause.”

“Garbage can provide important details for hackers: names, telephone numbers, a company's internal jargon.”

“As a young boy, I was taught in high school that hacking was cool.”

“I got so passionate about technology. Hacking to me was like a video game. It was about getting trophies. I just kept going on and on, despite all the trouble I was getting into, because I w...”

“I was addicted to hacking, more for the intellectual challenge, the curiosity, the seduction of adventure; not for stealing, or causing damage or writing computer viruses.”

“I could have evaded the FBI a lot longer if I had been able to control my passion for hacking.”

“My primary goal of hacking was the intellectual curiosity, the seduction of adventure.”

“My hacking involved pretty much exploring computer systems and obtaining access to the source code of telecommunication systems and computer operating systems, because my goal was to learn a...”

“I started with CB radio, ham radio, and eventually went into computers. And I was just fascinated with it. And back then, when I was in school, computer hacking was encouraged. It was an enc...”

“Hacking was the only entertainment that would occupy my mind - like a huge video game, but with real consequences. I could have evaded the FBI a lot longer if I had been able to control my p...”

“I was hooked in before hacking was even illegal.”

“The hacking trend has definitely turned criminal because of e-commerce.”

“I don't know the capabilities of our enemies. But I found it quite easy to circumvent security at certain phone companies throughout the United States. So if an inquisitive kid can do it, wh...”

“When somebody asks for a favor involving information, if you don't know him or can't verify his identity, just say no.”

“The myth of Kevin Mitnick is much more interesting than the reality of Kevin Mitnick. If they told the reality, no one would care.”

“When I read about myself in the media, even I don't recognize me. The myth of Kevin Mitnick is much more interesting than the reality of Kevin Mitnick. If they told the reality, no one would...”