Ghost in the Wires

My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker

By: Kevin Mitnick, William L. Simon

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world’s biggest companies—and however fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks. He spent years skipping through cyberspace, always three steps ahead and labeled unstoppable. But for Kevin, hacking wasn’t just about technological feats—it was an old fashioned confidence game that required guile and deception to trick the unwitting out of valuable information.

Driven by a powerful urge to accomplish the impossible, Mitnick bypassed security systems and blazed into major organizations including Motorola, Sun Microsystems, and Pacific Bell. But as the FBI’s net began to tighten, Kevin went on the run, engaging in an increasingly sophisticated cat-and-mouse game that led through false identities, a host of cities, plenty of close shaves, and to an ultimate showdown with the feds, who would stop at nothing to bring him down.

Ghost in the Wires is a thrilling true story of intrigue, suspense, and unbelievable escape and a portrait of a visionary whose creativity, skills, and persistence forced the authorities to rethink the way they pursued him, inspiring ripples that brought permanent changes in the way people and companies protect their most sensitive information.

©2011 Kevin Mitnick. Foreword 2011 by Steve Wozniak (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Intriguing, insightful, and extremely educational into the mind of one who truly mastered the art of social engineering with the use of a computer and modern-day technologies. I strongly believe that one can learn a great deal about protecting themselves once they understand how another one perpetrates the crime.” (Frank W. Abagnale, author of Catch Me If You Can)

Great story of a person tuning his life around

This book, and the narration, was REALLY well done. I had a hard time turning this thing off. I had been following Kevin since he first made the news about the whole Netcom incident as I was a member at that time. It was interesting hearing the differences reported from the main stream news as well as the online tech community and hearing so many discrepancies between the facts. Over the years we all found out how unfair they were towards Kevin in regards to the law. Of course he was no angel and he did deserve to pay for some things, which he admits to. But seeing how he did turn all of this into such a positive for himself was probably the best part of the story in my opinion. Of course it was extremely entertaining hearing some of these exploits and how he "maneuvered" the system.
I highly recommend this book!

Great reader

one of the best readers I've heard. his inflection and energy probably couldn't be matched by the actual author.

Wow! What a tale! Nicely nerve wracking!

Would you consider the audio edition of Ghost in the Wires to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version.

Which scene was your favorite?

I found all of the social engineering scenes intriguing. Creepy, crazy, but cool in a "can't believe it" way.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

That people can be manipulated because of ego issues more easily than I'd have thought.

Any additional comments?

This audio books was a tad redundant in places but well worth purchasing.

Riveting story... MASTERFULLY narrated

Would you consider the audio edition of Ghost in the Wires to be better than the print version?

Ug... dumb questions... why would I listen to a book I had already read?

What other book might you compare Ghost in the Wires to and why?

n/a

Have you listened to any of Ray Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

n/a

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no EXTREME reaction. (Odd question)

Any additional comments?

no

Excellent narration interesting story

Enjoyed the story, the authors addiction was fascinating very similar to a drug addiction would recommend this to anyone interested in data security.

Fun adventure

I didn’t know what to expect but Kevin brought me on a fun and intriguing journey into the world of hacking.

Very exciting and interesting

Would you consider the audio edition of Ghost in the Wires to be better than the print version?

I couldn't sleep at night because I became so enthralled by this book. Very good listen.

Inspiring & Encouraging

a reminder that turning my own life around is not too far out of reach

Absolutely mind opening

Do you like history? Are you interested in corporate security? Do you like action? Suspense? Do you like computer technology? If you answered yes to ANY of these questions you'll adore this book. The narration is superb, with Ray Porter giving the perfect amount of emotion and inflection in each word. This book is engaging and will leave you amazed at how this genius compromised the security of the top companies of his time with sometimes little more than a landline. Start listening to this book now and get ready to be blown away.

One of my top reads.

The story transcends passions. Whether you are a techy, geek, or just someone who likes a good story this is a great book. This is one of the beat books I have ever read/listened to. I have read it twice on e-books, listened onceand will likely through it on for my commute again in the near future.