Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick - Available

Ghost in the Wires

My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker

by Kevin Mitnick
William L. Simon
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

Kevin Mitnick, the world's most wanted computer hacker, managed to hack into some of the country's most powerful—and seemingly impenetrable—agencies and companies. By conning employees into giving him private information and maneuvering through layers of security, he gained access to data that no one else could.

The suspenseful heart of the book unfolds as Mitnick disappears on a three-year run from the FBI. He creates fake identities, finds jobs at a law firm and hospital, and keeps tabs on his myriad pursuers—all while continuing to hack into computer systems and phone company switches that were considered flawless.

A modern, technology-driven adventure story, Ghost in the Wires is a dramatic account of the joy of outsmarting security programs, the satisfaction of code cracking, and the thrill of unbelievable escape.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 15, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781483067209
      • File size: 404048 KB
      • Duration: 14:01:45

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The world's most infamous former cyberspace hacker catalogs his computer, phone, and cellular network exploits, which vary from practical jokes to eavesdropping on U.S. governmental wiretapping. Narrator Ray Porter employs an assertive, controlled performance with effective use of pauses. He provides little vocal characterization except for a few Asian-American intonations. We hear an earnest telling, without self-examination or flashes of humor, of a spoiled life led with significant privilege, courtesy of Mitnick's enabling parents and grandmother. Funds were always made available for defense attorneys and miscellaneous paraphernalia in support of an out-of-control intellectual curiosity for criminally challenging electronic systems and their security. The writing style is pedestrian as is Porter's narration. Clearly an illogical choice for audio inclusion are the unexplained cryptic puzzles that follow each chapter title. W.A.G. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 18, 2011
      It's the piquant human element that really animates this rollicking memoir of high-tech skullduggery. Mitnick (The Art of Deception) recounts his epic illegal computer hacks of Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation, and any number of cellphone makers; his exploits triggered a manhunt that made headlines. He insists he did it not for money but for the transgressive thrill of looking at big, secret computer programsâotherwise he apparently lived a threadbare existence on the lamâand the claim rings true; there's something obsessive and pure about his need to hack and brag about it to others, habits which eventually brought about his downfall. Mitnick's hacking narratives are lucid to neophytes and catnip to people who love code, but the book's heart is his "social engineering"âhis preternatural ability to schmooze and manipulate. By learning their procedures and mimicking their lingo, he gets cops, technicians, DMV functionaries, and other mandarinsâhis control over telephone companies is almost godlikeâto divulge their secrets and do his bidding. The considerable charm of this nonstop caper saga lies in seeing the giant, faceless bureaucracies that rule and regulate us unmasked as assemblages of hapless people dancing to a plucky con man's tune. Photos.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 2, 2012
      One of the most renowned hackers in history, Kevin Mitnick retraces his life’s course, from how he got into hacking to his feud with law enforcement and his eventual conversion into a computer security specialist. Ray Porter’s narration is direct and has a determined edge that captures Mitnick’s mindset as he hacks into computer systems despite the consequences. Porter’s narration also contains a slight nasal tone that—for good or for ill—recalls the cliché of a nerdy computer hacker. Throughout this audio edition, Porter keeps the story moving at an engaging pace, even during technical passages that may be unclear to a computer-hacking neophyte. However, each chapter in print begins with a ciphered sentence that readers can attempt to decode, which when spoken by the narrator proves incomprehensible and frustrating to listeners. A Little, Brown hardcover.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading