Editing Kevin Mitnick (section)

==== Controversy ====
Mitnick's criminal activities, arrest, and trial, along with the associated journalism, were all controversial.<ref name="kroll" /> Though Mitnick was convicted of copying software unlawfully,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-27-fi-21393-story.html|title=Judge Accepts Mitnick's Guilty Plea on 7 Counts |last= Miller |first=Greg|date=March 27, 1999|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=February 16, 2020|archive-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190415034146/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-27-fi-21393-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> his supporters argue that his punishment was excessive and that many of the charges against him were fraudulent<ref>{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060424153130/http://www.freekevin.com/about.html | url = http://www.freekevin.com/about.html | archive-date = April 24, 2006 | title = About Kevin's Case | work = Free Kevin Mitnick | first = Donald C. | last = Randolph}}</ref> and not based on actual losses.<ref>{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051222124635/http://www.freekevin.com/060799defmot.html | url = http://www.freekevin.com/060799defmot.html | archive-date = December 22, 2005 | title = Defense consolidated motion for sanctions and for reconsideration of motion for discovery and application for expert fees based upon new facts | work = Free Kevin Mitnick | date =June 7, 1999}}</ref>

[[John Markoff]] and [[Tsutomu Shimomura]], who had both been part of the pursuit of Mitnick, wrote the book ''Takedown'' about Mitnick's capture.<ref>{{Cite book |last1= Shimomura |first1=Tsutomo |title=Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick, America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw - By the Man Who Did It |last2=Markoff |first2=John |publisher=Hyperion |year=1996 |isbn=978-0786862108}}</ref>

The case against Mitnick tested the new laws that had been enacted for dealing with computer crime and it raised public awareness of security involving networked computers. The controversy remains and the Mitnick story is often cited today as an example of the [[Trial by media|influence of news media on law enforcement]] personnel.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/mitnick.background/ | title=The trials of Kevin Mitnick | date=March 18, 1999 | access-date=December 11, 2018 | first=John |last=Christensen | archive-date=December 8, 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181208015525/http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/mitnick.background/ | url-status=dead}}</ref>