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Remarkably, Mitnick’s hacking was not motivated by financial gain. He did not steal credit card information to use; rather, he sought the intellectual challenge and "thrill of knowledge." He detailed that the excitement lay in understanding the power he wielded over complex systems—almost like a child reveling in an extraordinary magic trick.
The FBI Pursuit
However, as Mitnick escalated his activities, he drew attention from law enforcement. A series of events, including infiltrating the systems of Tsutomu Shimomura, a security expert, led to an intensified FBI investigation. Mitnick's evasiveness made him a difficult target, and he adopted numerous false identities to evade capture.