Kevin Mitnick, at One Time the World's Most-Wanted Hacker, Joins Forces With Leading Internet Security Awareness Training Company KnowBe4, LLC
CLEARWATER, Fla., June 18, 2012 -- Internet Security Awareness Training firm KnowBe4 has joined forces with security expert and former hacker Kevin Mitnick. Once known as the world's most-wanted hacker, Mitnick now uses his expertise to help organizations identify, correct, and prevent network security vulnerabilities. Mitnick has taken the role of KnowBe4's Chief Hacking Officer.
"We're excited to announce our partnership with Kevin Mitnick, who is widely recognized as today's foremost social engineering and hacking expert," said Stu Sjouwerman (pronounced "shower-man"), KnowBe4 founder and CEO. "With the revelation that Stuxnet, Duqu and Flame were developed by the U.S. Government and the state of Israel, it is only a matter of time before this cyberweapon will be turned against us. The attack vector that made these powerful cyberweapons effective was social engineering. It is critical that employees be educated and inoculated to resist social engineering attacks. I'm confident that our combined expertise will give organizations the ammunition they need to effectively combat cyberattacks of every kind. We are excited to have Kevin join us as our Chief Hacking Officer."
Kevin Mitnick gained notoriety for penetrating the complex and highly protected computer systems of companies such as Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation, Pacific Bell, and Motorola. Today, he applies his vast knowledge of social engineering, phishing tactics, and network vulnerabilities as a consultant, speaker and writer. He co-authored two books - The Art of Deception and The Art of Intrusion - with William L. Simon, and wrote the New York Times best-seller Ghost in the Wires.
Mitnick recently shared some of his top security tips with CBS News.* He warned companies that outgoing network traffic can be as dangerous as inbound because "antivirus software is only 60 percent effective at detecting and eliminating malicious code." He also cautioned against another commonly overlooked vulnerability: the human factor.
"The biggest risks to information security are the people. Studies have shown that most security incidents start from within, and are usually accidental," explained Mitnick, citing the use of social engineering tactics by cybercriminals. "All it takes is one person making a bad decision to compromise the entire business. One effective strategy for keeping employees on their toes is simulating phishing attacks - similar to inoculating a person against a virus - using an Internet Security Awareness Training program, which costs about $15 per person per year."
Companies can get started today by requesting a free phishing security test and a free email exposure check (EEC), which will reveal all corporate email addresses that are publicly available to cybercriminals. To learn more about KnowBe4's Internet security awareness training and about security expert Kevin Mitnick, please visit http://www.knowbe4.com
