



Significant events in the case

1994-1995

1995-2000





Voice mail messages, online sessions and analysis of machine

after break in.



Links to newspaper articles and photos related to the case



A selection of interesting online sessions and voice messages.



The biographies of Tsutomu Shimomura, John Markoff, and Kevin Mitnick









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Kevin Mitnick, "America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw," eluded the police, US Marshalls, and FBI for over two years after vanishing while on probation for his 1989 conviction for computer and access device fraud. His downfall was his Christmas 1994 break-in to Tsutomu Shimomura's computers in San Diego, California. Less than two months later, Tsutomu had tracked him down after a cross-country electronic pursuit. Mitnick was arrested by the FBI in Raleigh, North Carolina, on February 15th, 1995.

While he was on the run, he broke into countless computers, intercepted private electronic communications, and copied off personal and confidential materials. Among the materials he copied off and stashed in readily accessible locations around the Net were personal electronic mail, stolen passwords, and proprietary software. Much of the stolen software was the trade secret source code to key products in which companies has invested many millions of dollars of development effort in order to maintain their competitive edge. His activities on the systems he broke in to, often altering information, corrupting system software, and eavesdropping on users, sometimes prevented or impeded legitimate use. He tried to stay a step ahead of the law by using cloned cellular telephones and stolen cellular and internet service for many of his intrusions.

Mitnick was charged in North Carolina with 23 counts of access device fraud for his activities shortly before his arrest. In order to expedite his return to California, he agreed to plead guilty to one count and have his case consolidated in Los Angeles. In California, he was charged with an additional 25 counts of access device, wire, and computer fraud. On March 16, 1999, Mitnick plead guilty to five of these counts and two additional counts from the Northern District of California. He was sentenced to 46 months and three years probation, to be served in addition to eight months for his North Carolina plea and 14 months for his probation violation. He was released from prison on January 21, 2000, being eligible for early release after serving almost 60 months of his 68 month sentence.

This site contains technical details of the break-in and pursuit, including actual analysis of the original break-in, voice messages left after the break-in, live transcripts of some of Kevin Mitnick's sessions, conversations, and much more.





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