Kevin Mitnick one of the most famous hackers in the history of cybersecurity died over the weekend after a more than yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer his family said in a published obituary. Before his death on July Mitnicks hacking sprees were legendary and multiple films were inspired by him. The first WarGames starring Matthew Broderick was partially based on allegations that Mitnick successfully hacked the computer systems at North American Aerospace Defense Command as a teenager. He denied ever having done so. Through it all Mitnick and his defenders insisted he was harmless not actually trying to hurt anyone or pursue financial gain. He was the chief hacking officer and partial owner of the tech security firm KnowBe founded by his close friend and business partner Stu Sjouwerman. A memorial for Mitnick is scheduled for August in Las Vegas his company said. He is survived by his wife Kimberley who is pregnant with their first child the family said. He is truly a luminary in the development of the cybersecurity industry but mostly Kevin was just a wonderful human being and he will be dearly missed, his friends said in an interview with Wired magazine. He will be remembered as a man who made some really stupid mistakes in the past as a younger man that I regret, Mitnick told Wired magazine in a interview. Mitnick became a whitehat hacker using his expertise to legally help businesses track people trying to break into their systems. He also wrote a memoir on his hacking career Ghost in the Wires My Adventures as the Worlds Most Wanted Hacker in . He was released in due to credit for time already served. The deal included a month prison sentence and a ban on being employed in any capacity wherein he has access to computers or computerrelated equipment or software during a period of probation but he was released from prison due to credits for time Already served. He died in a hospice facility in Los Angeles on July 25th after a long battle with cancer. He leaves behind a wife, Kimberley and a daughter, Abigail, who is expecting their first baby in the fall. The family is also celebrating Mitnick’s life with a celebration of his life on July 26th at a private event in Las Las Vegas where he is expected to be joined by family and friends. The memorial is set to take place on August 25th. For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. For support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch or click here. For support in the U.S. call theNational Suicide Prevention Line on 1-877-847-7255 or visit www.samaritans.org. For information on suicide prevention in the UK call the Samaritans on 08457 909090 or the National Suicide prevention Lifeline on September 25th.
Legendary computer hacker Kevin Mitnick dies at 59. Mitnick was one of the world’s most prolific computer hackers. He was known for his work on viruses and other malicious programs.
