Ask Kevin Mitnick

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Ask Kevin Mitnick 839

Posted by Roblimo on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:00PM from the he's-as-free-as-a-bird-now dept.

Okay, Kevin Mitnick is getting back online and can start taking email tomorrow, January 21. We've spoken with Kevin by phone, and he agrees that a Slashdot interview is a fine way to help celebrate his return to the Internet, especially since he has a book to sell and a consulting business to build. (Don't forget: Kevin hasn't been able to make much money for a number of years, and has a lot of lost time to make up for.) One question per post, please. We'll email Kevin 10 of the highest-moderated questions, and post his answers shortly after he gets them to us.

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Have you been waiting all these years just to say: (Score:1, Funny)

by sulli ( 195030 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:01PM (#5119184) Journal

"first post?"

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While in jail... (Score:0, Funny)

by Astrorunner ( 316100 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:08PM (#5119247) Journal

did your bunghole ever get "hax0red"?

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Poor guy (Score:4, Funny)

by OblongPlatypus ( 233746 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:13PM (#5119319)

...he agrees that a Slashdot interview is a fine way to help celebrate his return to the Internet

I guess he'd know better if he'd actually read any Slashdot interviews lately.

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Now can we settle it once and for all? (Score:4, Funny)

by Corporate Troll ( 537873 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:14PM (#5119338) Homepage Journal

Is it "cracker" or "hacker"?

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Re:How do you find it? (Score:5, Funny)

by mstyne ( 133363 ) writes: <`gro.yeknomahpla' `ta' `ekim'> on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:14PM (#5119342) Homepage Journal

He loves ... San Dimas!!

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Big question (Score:5, Funny)

by GMontag ( 42283 ) writes: <gmontag AT guymontag DOT com> on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:16PM (#5119358) Homepage Journal

What is the password to my PayPal account? I forgot it a while back.

Thanks in advance!

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Re:What do you say? (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:17PM (#5119361)

hummmmmm...........
Those "wannabes" don't really need a shirt to repell girl, they have a natural ability.

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Re:How about.... (Score:5, Funny)

by EinarH ( 583836 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:23PM (#5119404) Journal

He prob. had to do the same that everyone else is doing each time they are back from vaccation:-->
Delete spam. Tons of spam.

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Now.. (Score:2, Funny)

by grub ( 11606 ) writes: <slashdot@grub.net> on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:24PM (#5119407) Homepage Journal

Now that you're out of jail, may I take the "Free Kevin" bumpersticker off my car?

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Re:How about.... (Score:2, Funny)

by Oculus Habent ( 562837 ) writes: <oculus.habent@gm ... Nom minus author> on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:25PM (#5119420) Journal

Nah, it'll be, "Damn, I've got alot of e-mail!"

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Unauthorized? (Score:5, Funny)

by _ph1ux_ ( 216706 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:26PM (#5119428)

While you were incarcerated - were there any attempts at unauthorized access to your ports? How did you manage to secure these ports from would be DoS attacks? Did you have to do a lot of social engineering to keep them safe?

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Re:How about.... (Score:3, Funny)

by SupahVee ( 146778 ) writes: <supervNO@SPAMmischievousgeeks.net> on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:37PM (#5119520) Journal

Probably flamebait, but, if it were me, the goat pr0n of Shimomura would be first on my list. Spamming usenet with that would be worth the wait.

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Re:linux? (Score:1, Funny)

by talesout ( 179672 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:38PM (#5119526) Homepage

Dude, that's the most blatant attempt I've ever seen ignored by the masses. Unbelievable. You should be at +5 with ten spare +s left over by now.
Honestly, though, I just wish someone would ask the question we all really wanna know the answer to.
Kevin, do they call you the customizer?

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Re:Can't earn money? (Score:5, Funny)

by Angry White Guy ( 521337 ) writes: <CaptainBurly[AT]goodbadmovies.com> on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:42PM (#5119568)

You should upgrade to the latest version of Linux ported to fountain pens. I reccomend using Bic pens, as they come in 12 packs and are really easy to cluster.

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Re:What's Different? (Score:2, Funny)

by RevDobbs ( 313888 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @01:49PM (#5119615) Homepage

I wonder what the largest single difference between going in and coming out will be for KM.

After a whole lot of unathorized "going in", everthing will be "coming out" with a lot less effort.

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Re:No Offense meant, but.. (nr 2) (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @02:07PM (#5119725)

Dear Kevin,
Do you think michael (or some othe /.crew d00d) will try to sneak in a +5 question as
they did in the last interview [slashdot.org] with the AMIBIOS [amibiosornot.com] guy?
Thank you

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Re:The slammer (Score:5, Funny)

by AxelTorvalds ( 544851 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @02:08PM (#5119727)

Yeah, did you ever lie about your crimes to the inmates to gain respect with them? I understand inmates generally don't like pedophiles and that "the system" punishes them pretty harshly. How do they like super elite hackers? You ever claim you killed a man?

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Re:The slammer (Score:5, Funny)

by SlamMan ( 221834 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @02:14PM (#5119774)

Best he could claim is that he rooted somebody's system and killed "man"

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Your Slashdot Account (Score:2, Funny)

by ice cream koan ( 634082 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @02:17PM (#5119789)

Dear Kevin,

It is great to have you back on slashdot. Unfortunately, since you have been away, your account has been locked. If you would please reply to this post with your username and password, I would be happy to fix your account for you.

Sincerely,

CmdrTaco

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Re:How do you find it? (Score:2, Funny)

by GigsVT ( 208848 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @02:36PM (#5119887) Journal

as if he has been deaf, dumb, and blind for all this time.

But he sure plays a mean pinball.

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Re:Offtopic, but ontopic regarding your message (Score:2, Funny)

by RabidOverYou ( 596396 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @02:43PM (#5119934)

Yes, but after you figure out that it doesn't work in the stock market, you realize that by rewriting a few functions, it will work on the roulette wheel. Then it's off to Vegas, and easy livin'.

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Advice (Score:5, Funny)

by emkman ( 467368 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @03:06PM (#5120118)

Show some inmates with lots of power how to make free phone calls, and perform some favors for them. When you get out, they will take you into an elite crime syndicate as their technology head. Then wait for a secret box that decrypts everything to come along, and hire your former best friend to steal it for you.
Simple as that

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Re:It just isn't the same. (Score:2, Funny)

by yiantsbro ( 550957 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @03:23PM (#5120211)

No, but they have done a pretty damn good job of making it disappear into thin air ;)

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Re:Offtopic, but ontopic regarding your message (Score:2, Funny)

by RabidOverYou ( 596396 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @03:38PM (#5120303)

> education

Clearly underfunded in your state.

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Re:Free Kevin! (Score:3, Funny)

by wheany ( 460585 ) writes: <wheany+sd@iki.fi> on Monday January 20, 2003 @03:46PM (#5120357) Homepage Journal

Is that free-as-in-beer or free-as-in-speech?

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Re:How about.... (Score:3, Funny)

by discogravy ( 455376 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @03:54PM (#5120405) Homepage

....bet it'll look a lot like this [joyoftech.com].

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Re:How about.... (Score:5, Funny)

by VivianC ( 206472 ) writes: <internet_update@ ... o.com minus city> on Monday January 20, 2003 @04:32PM (#5120710) Homepage Journal

Great. We can watch him on live TV trying to remember which password he used for his email...

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No he's been waiting for (Score:5, Funny)

by BoomerSooner ( 308737 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @04:41PM (#5120817) Homepage Journal

hot teen nympho's, an MBA in 2 weeks and penis enlargement offers.

I bet his email account is full! 100,000 spams just waiting for him to return...

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Re:How about.... (Score:5, Funny)

by Eil ( 82413 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @04:53PM (#5120936) Homepage Journal

I see it going something like this:

TechTV Host: Okay Kevin, here's your computer, you have the controls. You said you were thinking about browsing a few web sites?

Kevin: Yes. I think I'd like to try Yahoo. ...tapettytaptap... a few seconds pass

Kevin: Ah. Here we go. Hmm. This is odd, it doesn't look like the screenshots I've seen in magazines...

Kevin displays shock and surprise.

Kevin: It looks like a hundred pages of CREDIT CARD NUMBERS! Hey, what's going on!?!

Cops bust through the doors, comedy ensues.

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"Social engineering" your way into a date? (Score:2, Funny)

by identity0 ( 77976 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @05:07PM (#5121056) Journal

Are social engineering principles useful in getting a date?

God knows, if there's anything the Slashdot crowd can use, it's *this*...

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The most important question of all (Score:2, Funny)

by Bill, Shooter of Bul ( 629286 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @05:08PM (#5121057) Journal

What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

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Re:No he's been waiting for (Score:3, Funny)

by rastachops ( 543268 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @06:39PM (#5121758)

Maybe the interview will go like this:

http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/4 32.html [geekculture.com]

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Re:Have you been waiting all these years just to s (Score:2, Funny)

by Simkin1 ( 643231 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @09:05PM (#5123050) Homepage

... I was curious, after all these years... what do you think of the net? Did it go the way you expected? Did it turn into what you hoped? Are you (dis)satisfied with the results? Any intentions to make your own post-prison marks on the future of the net? Intentions to contribute? Are you a re-habilitated 'citizen' or a disgruntled scapegoat? ... little side note... we've got this little problem with North Korea; any chance you could use your 'craft' to turn their nuclear program into the worlds most expensive pinball simulator? Welcome back

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Once a hacker (Score:2, Funny)

by James Littiebrant ( 622596 ) writes: on Monday January 20, 2003 @09:08PM (#5123080)

Once a hacker always a hacker so... when will you begin hacking again?

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So. Kevin. (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday January 21, 2003 @01:55AM (#5124732)

Was it worth it?

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There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

Have you been waiting all these years just to say: (Score:1, Funny)

While in jail... (Score:0, Funny)

Poor guy (Score:4, Funny)

Now can we settle it once and for all? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:How do you find it? (Score:5, Funny)

Big question (Score:5, Funny)

Re:What do you say? (Score:2, Funny)

Re:How about.... (Score:5, Funny)

Now.. (Score:2, Funny)

Re:How about.... (Score:2, Funny)

Unauthorized? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:How about.... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:linux? (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Can't earn money? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:What's Different? (Score:2, Funny)

Re:No Offense meant, but.. (nr 2) (Score:1, Funny)

Re:The slammer (Score:5, Funny)

Re:The slammer (Score:5, Funny)

Your Slashdot Account (Score:2, Funny)

Re:How do you find it? (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Offtopic, but ontopic regarding your message (Score:2, Funny)

Advice (Score:5, Funny)

Re:It just isn't the same. (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Offtopic, but ontopic regarding your message (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Free Kevin! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:How about.... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:How about.... (Score:5, Funny)

No he's been waiting for (Score:5, Funny)

Re:How about.... (Score:5, Funny)

"Social engineering" your way into a date? (Score:2, Funny)

The most important question of all (Score:2, Funny)

Re:No he's been waiting for (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Have you been waiting all these years just to s (Score:2, Funny)

Once a hacker (Score:2, Funny)

So. Kevin. (Score:1, Funny)

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