--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was fascinated with the phone system…" description: "\"I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.\" — Kevin Mitnick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/kevin-mitnick-3026_became_i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-a_23293.png" --- # I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked… ![“I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.” quote by Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/kevin-mitnick-3026_became_i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-a_23293.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/kevin-mitnick-3026_became_i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-a_23293.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bc/kevin-mitnick-3026_became_i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-a_23293.png) > “I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.” [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes an early curiosity about telecommunication infrastructure, leading to hacking as a means of mastering and manipulating the system. **In simple terms:** Tech curiosity turned into illicit control. Key Takeaway Understanding systems can drive both innovation and exploitation. Themes Technology Curiosity Control Ethics Security Mood Intrigued Rebellious Cautious Type Anecdotal Reflective Technical When to use this quote - Learning network protocols - Exploring hardware - Testing system limits Key Concepts Telephony Hacking System mastery Practical Applications - Security auditing - Network design Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities accompany deep technical curiosity? - How can societies channel such drive toward constructive outcomes? A Different Perspective While curiosity can spark learning, unauthorized intrusion breaches legal and ethical boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacker/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) ## Related quotes > [Communism is like one big phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/communism-is-like-one-big-phone-company/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I look at what the phone company does and do the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-newmark/i-look-at-what-the-phone-company-does-and-do-the-opposite/) [Craig Newmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-newmark/) > [I did a commercial for a phone company when I was five. But my first big thing was when I was eight. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milana-vayntrub/i-did-a-commercial-for-a-phone-company-when-i-was-five-but-my-first/) [Milana Vayntrub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milana-vayntrub/) > [I sprung you because I've got a message for you" "doesn't your family own a cell phone company?" "only a little one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/i-sprung-you-because-i-ve-got-a-message-for-you-doesn-t-your-family/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [The phone company handles 84 billion calls a year-everything from kings, queens, and presidents to the scum of the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-phone-company-handles-84-billion-calls-a-year-everything-from/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I have heard from the phone company, the water company, the electric company, but haven't heard from you. Too bad, it's your company I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrthrill/i-have-heard-from-the-phone-company-the-water-company-the-electric-2/) Mrthrill > [I have heard from the phone company, the water company, the electric company, but havent heard from you. Too bad, its your company I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/admin-darkangel/i-have-heard-from-the-phone-company-the-water-company-the-electric/) Admin Darkangel > [We were still able to see the phone records of a potential terrorist cause, we held them, now you have to hope the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-were-still-able-to-see-the-phone-records-of-a-potential-terrorist/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-don-t-care-we-don-t-have-to-we-re-the-phone-company/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [New security loopholes are constantly popping up because of wireless networking. The cat-and-mouse game between hackers and system administrators is still in full swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/new-security-loopholes-are-constantly-popping-up-because-of-wireless/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I characterize myself as a retired hacker. I'm applying what I know to improve security at companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-characterize-myself-as-a-retired-hacker-i-m-applying-what-i-know-to/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I think malware is a significant threat because the mitigation, like antivirus software, hasn't evolved to a point to really mitigate the risk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-think-malware-is-a-significant-threat-because-the-mitigation-like/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [When an attacker fails with one person, they often go to another person. The key is to report the attack to other departments. Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/when-an-attacker-fails-with-one-person-they-often-go-to-another/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## More by Kevin Mitnick > [The human. Now you know all about your target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-human-now-you-know-all-about-your-target/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Back up everything! You are not invulnerable. Catastrophic data loss can happen to you - one worm or Trojan is all it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/back-up-everything-you-are-not-invulnerable-catastrophic-data-loss/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [When an attacker fails with one person, they often go to another person. The key is to report the attack to other departments. Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/when-an-attacker-fails-with-one-person-they-often-go-to-another/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I think malware is a significant threat because the mitigation, like antivirus software, hasn't evolved to a point to really mitigate the risk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-think-malware-is-a-significant-threat-because-the-mitigation-like/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Usually companies hire me, and they know full well who I am, and that's one of the reasons they want to hire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/usually-companies-hire-me-and-they-know-full-well-who-i-am-and-that-s/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [A lot of companies are clueless, because they spend most or all of their security budget on high-tech security like fire walls and biometric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/a-lot-of-companies-are-clueless-because-they-spend-most-or-all-of/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I characterize myself as a retired hacker. I'm applying what I know to improve security at companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-characterize-myself-as-a-retired-hacker-i-m-applying-what-i-know-to/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [No company that I ever hacked into reported any damages, which they were required to do for significant losses. Sun didn't stop using Solaris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/no-company-that-i-ever-hacked-into-reported-any-damages-which-they/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [New security loopholes are constantly popping up because of wireless networking. The cat-and-mouse game between hackers and system administrators is still in full swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/new-security-loopholes-are-constantly-popping-up-because-of-wireless/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The explosion of companies deploying wireless networks insecurely is creating vulnerabilities, as they think it's limited to the office - then they have Johnny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-explosion-of-companies-deploying-wireless-networks-insecurely-is/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The government does things like insisting that all encryption programs should have a back door. But surely no one is stupid enough to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-government-does-things-like-insisting-that-all-encryption/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I get hired to hack into computers now and sometimes it's actually easier than it was years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-get-hired-to-hack-into-computers-now-and-sometimes-it-s-actually/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Somebody could send you an office document or a PDF file, and as soon as you open it, it's a booby trap and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/somebody-could-send-you-an-office-document-or-a-pdf-file-and-as-soon/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) [Explore all 142 Kevin Mitnick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## More Became quotes > [My sketchbook became everything to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carr/my-sketchbook-became-everything-to-me/) [Steve Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carr/) > [In that sense, I became politicized because the people in the coal mining villages who were involved in the struggle knew why they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/in-that-sense-i-became-politicized-because-the-people-in-the-coal/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [Moses became America's true founding father because he evangelized action; he justified risk. 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