Tsutomu Shimomura

To make a long story short, Shimomura outhacked and outsmarted Kevin Mitnick, possibly the nation's most infamous cracker/phreaker, in early 1994. This was a feat even the entire FBI had been unable to accomplish. Born in Japan, Shimomura grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. Currently he is a senior fellow at the San Diego Supercomputer Center and he grapples with problems in scientific fields as diverse as computational security and computer physics. He went to the University of California at San Diego to become part of the physics department as a full-time research scientist in 1989. He has actually studied physics with well-known Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman at the California Institute of Technology (CALTECH). Mitnick made a big mistake by messing with Tsutomu. The whole objective of hacking into his computer was to get some rare files, codes and software with which to hack into cellphones. If he had succeeded, he would be able to gain access to any computer in the world and be fully untraceable. Mitnick eventually decided that the respected security expert Tsutomu Shimomura was the guy with the tools. This particularly foolish venture shows that he was all too confident about his abilities. Apart from being a professional hacker who was just as – if not more – talented than Mitnick, Tsutomu was a pure “white hat” with a lot of professional pride. He also had the full support of the law. In December 1994, the die was cast and Tsutomu Shimomura's elaborate computer system was broken into. Colleagues informed him that someone had stolen hundreds of software programs and files from his workstation. Even before having any idea who did it, Shimomura took it as a personal challenge to bring down the perpetrator. The computer security expert worked on a tip to track the thief through the WELL. A labyrinthine trail and a fast-paced and hi-tech struggle worthy of being written in a book eventually led to an apartment complex in Raleigh, N.C., where FBI agents apprehended Mitnick. Indeed, in subsequent years, a book was written regarding this incident. Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw - By the Man Who Did It (Hyperion, January 1996) is Shimomura's first-person account of the search, written with the help of New York Times reporter John Markoff. Markoff has also aided in Mitnick’s capture. currently, Shimomura works in the area of computer security research. He has consulted with a number of government agencies regarding a variety of issues related to security and computer crime. In 1992 he testified before a Congressional Committee chaired by Representative Edward Markey on issues regarding the lack of privacy and security in cellular telephones, possibly an afterthought following Mitnick’s arrest. He is currently an active inline skater residing in San Diego. He is also an avid fan of cross-country skiing.