AT&T Tells Hacker to Find Cell Service Elsewhere

News
By Jane McEntegart
published

AT&T has reportedly told celebrity hacker Kevin Mitnick that the company can no longer offer him cell phone service because of the inordinate amount of attacks on his cell phone account.

The Register last night published a lengthy article on the issues Mitnick is facing with his phone company and web hosting firm. Mitnick claims both AT&T and HostedHere.net, both of which have told Mitnick that they no longer want his business.

According to the Reg, Mitnick recently hired a lawyer to complain that his privacy was being invaded by people posting his account information - including the last four digits of his SSN, his address, the password he uses to log into his account online and both his cell and home phone numbers - in public hacking forums.

"They can't seem to secure my account," Mitnick said. "And then instead of doing something about it, they try to kill the messenger and want to boot me off their network when all I want them to do is to secure my account so no one gets access to my phone records."

David Wykofka, IT director at HostedHere said that Kevin is a "high profile target," explaining the company's decision to ask Mitnick to leave. "When vulnerabilities come out in third-party vendor software, he is one of the first targets on their list. This is just one of the perils of being Kevin Mitnick. If you're Barack Obama, you don't get webhosting at GoDaddy."

Read the full story here.

Jane McEntegart
28 Comments Comment from the forums
  • cruiseoveride
    So basically any AT&T customer is not safe
    Reply
  • mlopinto2k1
    I still don't know who Kevin Mitnick is. Anyway, get a life, Kevin!
    Reply
  • pullmyfinger123
    anyone see the irony that a hacker is complaining about his privacy being invaded?
    Reply
  • Niva
    The truth is that nobody's safe, Mitnick has made himself a target simply by notoriety. I do think his claims are legit though in the sense that these companies claim to offer secure services. Rather than attempt to live up to their promises they're cutting their ties with him. It's like a bodyguard not doing the job he was hired for because the opposition looks too tough. Rather cowardly move on their part, but can one really blame them other than the ethical aspects of the situation? Those companies have to make money and maintaining this security is simply too expensive for them.

    Unfortunately, this could happen to anyone who becomes a target, so don't rejoice in the irony of it because it could happen to you too.
    Reply
  • tenor77
    mlopinto2k1I still don't know who Kevin Mitnick is. Anyway, get a life, Kevin!
    Epic fail on reading the article
    Reply
  • hellwig
    NivaIt's like a bodyguard not doing the job he was hired for because the opposition looks too tough.No no no. The average person hires a body guard to protect them from potential danger from an unknown individual. Mitnick hires a bodyguard because he happens to know the entire army of Uzbeckistan is after him. At some point, the body guard just says "look, if you are going to piss off foreign militaries, you better have your own military to back you up."

    Most bodyguards are just there to look intimidating. Most won't die for a client that paid them $500 for the night, its just not worth it. You want real protection, you have to pay for it. Mitnick has chosen a path in life that attracts many enemies, he needs to be responsible for his own security.

    This would be like buying a winter jacket at Lands End, then complaining that it doesn't stop bullets. I don't recall AT&T and HostedHere ever promising they could stop legions of hackers all trying to make a name for themselves just because some jackass ex-hacker pays for cell phone service and basic web hosting.
    Reply
  • jellico
    Oh brother. He should know he'll always have a huge target on his back. This is a simple problem to solve, too. Just use someone else (and not a family member with the same last name) to setup his mobile account in their name. Or, better yet for people like him, purchase a pre-paid cell phone with cash, and likewise buy the time cards with cash.

    But instead he's whining like a punk and hiring lawyers?! And this guy used to be "the most dangerous hacker in America"? How the mighty have fallen.
    Reply
  • Platypus
    Nivadon't rejoice in the irony of it because it could happen to you too.I think you're missing the definition of "irony." It's slightly ironic that a hacker is getting hacked, but it's extremely ironic that this hacker is complaining about being unable to protect his information.

    If this happened to me, it wouldn't really be ironic because I am not a hacker. I'd just be another number.
    Reply
  • Dax corrin
    I cant wait till that freaking self-expanding gate.com ad goes away forever. If I want to know more, I'll expand it myself. I know one thig for sure, I won't buy any services they provide now for sure.
    Reply
  • Greg_77
    As a notorious ex-hacker who hacked cellular service company servers, he really shouldn't be complaining to a cellular service company....
    Reply