Takedown
The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick, America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw-By the Man Who Did It
by Tsutomu Shimomura, John Markoff · first published 1996
38% recommend38% neutral25% critical
Why HN recommends it
Firsthand account of the hunt for hacker Kevin Mitnick told from the pursuer's side; readers find it an engaging read that pairs well with Mitnick's own Ghost in the Wires.
Common criticism: Seen as one-sided and unfair to Mitnick, since it tells the story from Shimomura's perspective.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Stingrays were being used as early as the 1990s by federal law enforcement. They were used to help locate Kevin Mitnick in North Carolina. Edit - I recall reading that years ago in Tsutomu Shimomura's book 'Takedown' (published in 1996). Outside of this, I have no other reference. It's a good read BTW. https://www.amazon.com/Takedown-Pursuit-Capture-Americas-Com...
on “How a Hacker Proved Cops Used a Stingray to Find Him” ↗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 he was on the run - and his side of how he was finally…
on “Why Kevin Mitnick Is Still Breaking into Computers” ↗…number of interesting characters. But I'd suggest following up by reading other related titles, especially regarding Kevin Mitnick) Ghost in the Wires - Mitnick (Mitnick's autogiography, basically) Takedown - Shimomura & Markoff The Fugitive Game - Littman (of the books written about Mitnick, but not by Mitnick, this one has a reputation for being a little more "pro Kevin" whereas a couple of the others…
on “Ask HN: What are some must read books?” ↗I read all three of the Kevins books and like "Ghost in Wire" the most. It is a really nice and interesting biography. If you want to have the other side of the story, then I would also recommend "Takedown" from John Markoff.
on “Social Engineering from Kevin Mitnick” ↗I really enjoyed the book Takedown, about Shimomura's pursuit of Mitnick - I must have read it three or four times. I always wondered what happened to Shimomura, since he just seemed to drop out of sight after that book came out.
on “Kevin Mitnick has died” ↗I did not realize Mitnick had passed away, very sad. I first learned about him as a kid through the book Takedown, and his exploits definitely fueled my early fascination with computers and hacking. It's heartwarming to see how he later befriended Shawn Nunley, though it's unfortunate that he and Shimomura apparently…
on “A Man Was Gifted His Dream Car by the Notorious Hacker He Put in Prison” ↗Takedown by Tsutomo Shimomura That's the story of how Kevin Mitnick got caught. Very controversial so I can't say it's good. I still enjoyed it back then. Note that the question is about novels, and I think…
on “Ask HN: Recommendations of good cybercrime novels?” ↗Someone gave me Takedown to read because they knew I worked in IT. That book made me dislike Tsutomu Shimomura immensely.
on “Why Kevin Mitnick Is Still Breaking into Computers” ↗…in 'The Fugitive Game' and by Eric Corley. Any reasonably broad-minded person who wants to see the law deal evenhandedly with the accused can find places in these accounts to sympathize with Kevin. 'Takedown' is AFAICT the extent of what TS wants to say about the matter. We can presume he comes off in it the way he wanted to come off. Though I do wonder about the tone of the book, and if John Markoff had…
on “Why Kevin Mitnick Is Still Breaking into Computers” ↗I grew up as a huge Mitnick fan, and I still am. He was vilified and used as the poster boy 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)” ↗I seem to have gotten rid of my copy of Takedown, but Jonathan Littman writes in The Fugitive Game, paraphrasing John Markoff: "...Shimomura was sitting in the passenger seat of a Raleigh Sprint technician's car, holding a cellular-frequency direction-finding…
on “How a Hacker Proved Cops Used a Stingray to Find Him” ↗Agree on the uninspired point. Yeah, Shimomura's role may well have been embellished, but as described in Takedown (there's some controversy around the veracity of the story), he was supposed involved in some fairly sophisticated stuff to help the FBI track Mitnick down.
Takedown (2000) Based on the book by Tsutomu Shimomura. It's the story of how Kevin Mitnick was captured. All the tech/hacks in the movie are real as far as I remember.
on “Ask HN: Recommendations for “Hacker Fiction” Films?” ↗Watch "Freedom downtime". There they make it clear that the New York Times columnist and book author John Markoff made up absolutely everything. The movie "Track Down" (US) / "Takedown" is also full of BS.
on “Kevin Mitnick has died” ↗Alas the book (and the movie) were trash, rather like Shimomura. Anyone who knew Kevin, knew that Takedown was egotistical BS. If you really want to know about "the pursuit of Mitnick," watch Freedom Downtime. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Downtime https://archive.org/details/FreedomDowntime-TheStoryOfKevinM...
on “Kevin Mitnick has died” ↗