CSC 379 SUM2008:Week 3, Debate

Kevin Mitnick is probably the most notorious computer hacker ever. At age 18 he hacked into the North American Air Defense Command systems. His remarkable skills enabled him to break into many more systems, and escape detection for years. After almost 10 years of evading authorities he was caught and sentenced to jail time. Now he is being released from prison.

The question is, Should the FBI hire Kevin Mitnick?

Yes: You believe that Mitnick's skills could prove invaluable to the FBI as its tracks down other hackers, or tries to locate al-Qaeda operatives communicating via the Internet. Convince your boss that Mitnick, now that he has paid his debt to society, should be hired as an agent of the FBI.

No: You are an investigator for the FBI, and you hear about the plan to hire Kevin Mitnick. You believe this is a very bad decision, both for practical reasons and for moral reasons. Make arguments to deter your boss from hiring Mitnick.