Ghost in the wires
by Kevin D. Mitnick · first published 2011
73% recommend26% neutral1% critical
Why HN recommends it
Mitnick's hacking memoir reads like a cyberpunk thriller, following his teens through his years as the FBI's most wanted hacker. Praised for suspense, phone-hacking and social engineering detail, and a fun 90s vibe.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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 th
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…valid, calling it a flaw in the book is, I think, inaccurate. The book as much a story a story about Cliff as the shadowy hacker on the other side of the wires, and that's a big part of its charm, IMHO. Ghost in the Wires, and Exploding the Phone are also good, and true stories.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗…movies made of them. You might also be interested in stories which are based on non-fiction, but are written in a story telling kind of way, greatly adding to suspense. In that category I read the books Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick and Kingpin by Kevin Poulsen [1]. If you're interested in following a suspenseful hacker story I can recommend them both. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13240924
on “Ask HN: What are some great fiction reads for someone that reads non-fiction” ↗I really enjoyed Ghost in the Wires (basically Mitnick's bio). I had first read Takedown by Tsutomo Shimomura which told of Mitnick's pursuit by the guy who ended up help to catch him. "Wires" was the other side - what Mitnick did when…
on “Why Kevin Mitnick Is Still Breaking into Computers” ↗…Fiction: Mona Lisa Overdrive - William Gibson Zero History - William Gibson 11/22/63 - Stephen King The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss Non-fiction: Ghost in the Wires - Kevin Mitnick The Elegant Universe - Brian Greene The Trouble With Physics - Lee Smolin Not Even Wrong - Peter Woit The Lean Startup - Eric Ries Blue Ocean Strategy - W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne…
on “Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011” ↗You can try some Kevin Mitnick's books. "Ghost in the wires" is his biography with a lot of fun stories, recommended. "The art of intrusion" is about more technical hacking, lot of war stories from all over the world. "The art of deception" is about Social Engineering,…
on “What to read?” ↗…course. PG is brilliant, nuff said. His book "ANSI Common Lisp" is definitely on the top of my reading list, I've already started and it is great. > Just to mention, a little less technical book is "Ghost In The Wires" by Kevin Mitnick, a famous hacker. I'm listening the audiobook now and it is really inspiring, entertaining and fantastic.
on “Ask HN: What's the best technical eBook you have read?” ↗When I read Kevin Mitnick's Ghost in the Wires, what impressed me was how he'd combine social engineering with technical hacks. For example even if people did call their boss or Kevin's alleged employer (the utility company, a partner company, whatever),…
on “Socially Engineering Myself into High Security Facilities” ↗…for all computer hackers, phreakers, and the lot - unfairly I think. Takedown was one of the most dry and dull books I've ever read, and John Markoff should be ashamed of himself. Read Mitnick's book, Ghost in the Wires. So much better.
on “Takedown (1995)” ↗…about computer hacker Kevin Mitnick, based on the book Takedown by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura." Watch the documentary Freedom Downtime by Eric "Emmanuel Goldstein" Corley and read Mitnick's book, Ghost in the Wires. Written by Mitnick after his probation terms were expired. Dude's got humor, and its written in a way which is both fun and suspense. Whether it is accurate, who knows, but it is from his perspective.
on “Takedown (1995)” ↗I recently read Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick and it was fantastic! He talks about his journey and evasion of the FBI while he was on the run
on “Ask HN: Recommendations of good cybercrime novels?” ↗…on science and rationality. - "On Intelligence" and "I am a Strange Loop" - how mind works. - "Rework", "Zero to One", "Start Small, Stay Small" - insightful startup advice. - Fun autobiographies: Ghost in the Wires (Kevin Mitnick), iWoz (Steve Wozniak), Catch me if you can (Frank Abagnale), Just for Fun (Linus Torvalds), Elon Musk, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - How companies work: Creativity Inc (Pixar),…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time?” ↗…summarized everything I wanted to learn about the subject, and explained it extremely well. Absolute best book to read in hectic/stressful situations, audio version is great too. - Fun autobiographies: Ghost in the Wires (Kevin Mitnick), iWoz (Steve Wozniak), Catch me if you can (Frank Abagnale), Just for Fun (Linus Torvalds), Elon Musk, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - How companies work: Creativity Inc (Pixar),…
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗You should read the book "Ghost in the Wires" by Kevin Mitnick. It will really open your eyes as to what is possible with phones.
on “Ask HN: Why can’t I block all incoming calls that aren’t in my contact list?” ↗…Memoir https://www.amazon.com/UNIX-History-Memoir-Brian-Kernighan-e... Masters of Doom https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Doom-Created-Transformed-Cult... linking to audiobook because it is read by Wil Wheaton :) Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Wires-Adventures-Worlds-Wanted/... It might be just me, but I really enjoy reading biographies of people important to the…
on “Ask HN: Computer Science/History Books?” ↗I'm going to recommend you the last one I read and loved so much: Ghost in the wires by Kevin Mitnick. What a legend OMG!
on “Ask HN: What books should I read this summer?” ↗