Individual Presentation: Kevin Mitnick :: Computers Technology Kevin Matnick Essays

Individual Presentation: Kevin Mitnick Introduction Originally, I had planned on researching George Lucas as my creative genius. I am in love with the Star Wars saga, but I really could not get interested in George Lucas. Then, late one night, I saw a movie called Takedown. It was based on a true story that dealt with the pursuit and capture of Kevin Mitnick, one of the most infamous computer hackers of all time. I was instantly amazed. As soon as the movie was over, I began scouring the internet looking for information concerning him. I am quite interested in computers, and Mitnick’s mastery of them drew me towards him. I knew then that he was who I wanted to research. His creativity encompasses a wide range of skills. Obviously, his mastery of computer and telephone systems deals with the Mathematical/Logical domain. Also, he is talented at acquiring information from people, which is an intrapersonal skill. Plus, he is strongly self-motivated and that deals with the interpersonal domain. This combination of skills elevated him to be one of the best hackers the world has ever seen. I have a great deal of respect for Kevin Mitnick because he is able to use a computer creatively to acquire whatever he wants to know. In a way, I wish I could be like him. A computer is such a valuable asset, but many times it is not close to being used to its full potential. Kevin Mitnick realized this, and put his computer to maximum usage. However, it is unfortunate that what he did was against the law. Due to this, I really cannot consider him a role model. I have no desire to risk going to jail over a computer-related crime. Even so, there is still a great amount of potential within Mitnick. Since he knows so much about breaking into computers, he could use that knowledge when he gets out of jail to design security systems that would be almost impenetrable. He knows all the tricks of the trade on how to tap into someone’s system. It is this insight that could enable him to design a nearly full-proof security system. Only time will tell what happens with Mi tnick in the future.