Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick by the Man Who Did It - Hardcover

Shimomura, Tsutomo; Markoff, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786862106 ISBN 13: 9780786862108

Publisher: Hyperion, 1996

Synopsis

An international computer security expert offers a suspenseful account of his pursuit and eventual capture of hacker Kevin Mitnick, describing his high-tech face-off with the world's most notorious cyberthief.

About this title

Review:

The true story of how Kevin Mitnick was snagged by computer security expert Tsutomu Shimomura. As gripping as a great mystery novel -- but true -- and as important as any book on computer security -- but eminently readable by anyone.

You can read more about Mitnick specifically or computer crime and social engineering generally in Jonathan Littman's recent The Fugitive Game: Online With Kevin Mitnick, or in any one of a sampler of books on computer crimes and computer cracking.

From Library Journal:

Computer security expert Shimomura gained instant celebrity with his highly publicized capture of Kevin Mitnick, a notorious computer hacker who allegedly plundered the Internet at will, stealing files and information from computer systems throughout the world. Markoff, a new breed of cyberspace journalist, was the sole reporter present when Mitnick was arrested, invited by Shimomura to cover the bust. Markoff's account of this story first appeared on the front page of the New York Times on February 16, 1995, the day after the bust. Markoff and Shimomura were friends, and Markoff's previous book, Cyberpunk (LJ 6/1/91), devoted a third of its content to the nefarious Mitnick. Takedown is a riveting account of the investigation and capture of a skilled hacker by a brilliant cybersleuth. Littman, an investigative reporter, has also written a compelling narrative of the Mitnick case. In contrast to Takedown, Littman captures Mitnick's side of the story. He focuses on Mitnick's motives and ambitions, drawing on personal conversations and correspondence with the world-class hacker while he was still a fugitive. Littman alleges questionable motives on the part of Shimomura and Markoff as they tread the murky water of journalistic ethics surrounding book advances, movie deals, talk-show appearances, and speaking fees. He exposes a conflict of interest raised by the financial rewards Shimomura and Markoff received by cooperating with the FBI, and asserts that the ensuing publicity over Internet security and the need for tougher laws distracted us from the real issue of a constitutional right to privacy on the information superhighway. Most libraries should have both The Fugitive Game and Takedown.
-?Joe Accardi, Northeastern Illlinois Univ. Lib., Chicago
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0786862106
• ISBN 13: 9780786862108
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336