Kevin Mitnick: Hacker to Cybersecurity Expert - RIP #1682

Renowned former hacker, Kevin Mitnick, passed away on July 16th at 59 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Mitnick’s hacking exploits spanned from his youth in the 70s until his capture in 1995. Known for infiltrating cell networks, company and government websites, and famously never financially profiting from his exploits, Mitnick spent five years in prison before becoming a respected White Hat hacker and cybersecurity consultant. His final role was as part owner and chief hacking officer of KnowBe4, a firm providing security training and simulated phishing platforms. I started following what Kevin did in the 2600 magazine. He was folklore famous.

I cover a recent report revealing that three in five workers try to stay active online even when not working. This statistic led to a discussion about the ongoing debate around hustle culture and performative productivity. Interestingly, the report suggested that over 40% of meetings could be eliminated without real consequences.

I also discuss the ongoing battle between streaming companies like Disney and Netflix and the FTC’s “Click to Cancel” proposal. The companies argue that the regulation would impose high costs and infringe on their freedom of speech. However, making it easy for people to cancel is the right thing to do.

Apple’s opposition to a UK surveillance bill proposal was another topic of discussion. The tech giant stated it would remove services like FaceTime and iMessage from the UK instead of weakening their security if the bids are made law.

I discuss an iOS feature, Screen Distance, that uses your TrueDepth camera to check if you’re holding it at least 12 inches away from your eyes. If you or your child have your iPhone or iPad too close to your face, you’ll see a warning on the screen, in this episode, along with all the topics below.

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