--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's kind of interesting, because hacking…" description: "\"It's kind of interesting, because hacking is a skill that could be used for criminal purposes or legitimate purposes, and so even though in the past I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/kevin-mitnick-3026_because_it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking_2687378.jpg" --- # It's kind of interesting, because hacking is a skill that… ![“It's kind of interesting, because hacking is a skill that could be used for criminal purposes or legitimate purposes, and so even though in the past I was hacking for the curiosity, and the thrill, to get a bite of the forbidden fruit of knowledge, I'm now working in the security field as a public…” quote by Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/kevin-mitnick-3026_because_it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking_2687378.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/kevin-mitnick-3026_because_it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking_2687378.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/kevin-mitnick-3026_because_it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking_2687378.jpg) > “It's kind of interesting, because hacking is a skill that could be used for criminal purposes or legitimate purposes, and so even though in the past I was hacking for the curiosity, and the thrill, to get a bite of the forbidden fruit of knowledge, I'm now working in the security field as a public speaker.” [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. Hacking skills can be ethical or illicit; personal growth can lead to positive security work. **In simple terms:** Skills can shift from misuse to protection. Key Takeaway Apply knowledge responsibly. Themes security ethics career transition Mood inspirational cautious Type educational motivational When to use this quote - cybersecurity training - ethical hacking workshops - career counseling Key Concepts hacking public speaking risk management Questions to Reflect On - How can curiosity be channeled constructively? - What safeguards prevent misuse? A Different Perspective Risk of glorifying illegal hacking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Forbidden fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbidden-fruit/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacker/) [Hacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacking/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Skill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skill/) [Thrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrill/) ## Related quotes > [I use Spam Arrest because of the amount of junk mail I get. Any legitimate person who wants to send me a message has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-use-spam-arrest-because-of-the-amount-of-junk-mail-i-get-any/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Being on the run wasn't fun, but it was something I had to do. I was actually working in legitimate jobs. I wasn't living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/being-on-the-run-wasn-t-fun-but-it-was-something-i-had-to-do-i-was/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [“In Europe, nobody will bleep you, if you want to say a "bad" word on TV. The idea that some self-righteous little old lady…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/in-europe-nobody-will-bleep-you-if-you-want-to-say-a-bad-word-on-tv/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [But even quashed rebellions leave us different. Because freedom may be a forbidden fruit in tyrannies, but once tasted, it is unforgettable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-even-quashed-rebellions-leave-us-different-because-freedom-may-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Then he strode across the room and kissed her. It was a crazy, impulsive act, but the minute his lips touched hers he knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-davies/then-he-strode-across-the-room-and-kissed-her-it-was-a-crazy/) Kate Davies > [What censorship accomplishes, creating an unreal and hypocritical mythology, fomenting an attraction for forbidden fruit, inhibiting the creative minds among us and fostering an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-crist/what-censorship-accomplishes-creating-an-unreal-and-hypocritical/) [Judith Crist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-crist/) > [“I am not sure that the best way to make a boy love the English poets might not be forbid him to read them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-am-not-sure-that-the-best-way-to-make-a-boy-love-the-english-poets/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [While the forbidden fruit is said to taste sweeter, it usually spoils faster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-the-forbidden-fruit-is-said-to-taste-sweeter-it-usually-spoils/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For we were little Christian children and early learned the value of forbidden fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/for-we-were-little-christian-children-and-early-learned-the-value-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Jill had always wanted to know what it was like to be allowed to wear her hair long, to put on a pretty skirt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/jill-had-always-wanted-to-know-what-it-was-like-to-be-allowed-to-wear/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [Man, I want to be someone's forbidden fruit." "Well, you are pretty fruity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/man-i-want-to-be-someone-s-forbidden-fruit-well-you-are-pretty-fruity/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [“There has never been any forbidden fruit. Only temptation is divine. To feel the need to vary the object of this temptation, to replace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andr-breton/there-has-never-been-any-forbidden-fruit-only-temptation-is-divine-to/) [André Breton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andr-breton/) > [“The forbidden cabinet. The forbidden fruit. That fruit is—a volume, a huge blue-lilac volume with a gold inscription slantwise: Collected Works of A.S. Pushkin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-tsvetaeva/the-forbidden-cabinet-the-forbidden-fruit-that-fruit-is-a-volume-a/) [Marina Tsvetaeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-tsvetaeva/) > [Ever since Eve gave Adam that forbidden fruit, demonizing and disbelieving women has been the planet-wide policy. You don't need to reach back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/ever-since-eve-gave-adam-that-forbidden-fruit-demonizing-and/) [Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/) > [“Alas! the forbidden fruits were eaten, And thereby the warm life of reason congealed. A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam, Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi-masnavi-i-ma-navi/alas-the-forbidden-fruits-were-eaten-and-thereby-the-warm-life-of/) Rumi Masnavi-I Ma'navi ## 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/) > [I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-and-how-it-worked-i-became-a/) [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/) [Explore all 142 Kevin Mitnick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## More Because quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) Browse all 15,485 Because quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's kind of interesting, because hacking is a skill that could be used for criminal purposes or legitimate purposes, and so even though in the past I was hacking for the curiosity, and the thrill, to get a bite of the forbidden fruit of knowledge, I'm now working in the security field as a public speaker.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin Mitnick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking-is-a-skill-that-could-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Because" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking-is-a-skill-that-could-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/kevin-mitnick-3026_because_it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking_2687378.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/kevin-mitnick-3026_because_it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking_2687378.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/kevin-mitnick-3026_because_it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking_2687378.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's kind of interesting, because hacking is a skill that could be used for criminal purposes or legitimate…” — Kevin Mitnick", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kevin Mitnick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's kind of interesting, because hacking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking-is-a-skill-that-could-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-kind-of-interesting-because-hacking-is-a-skill-that-could-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```