Susan Headley

Early Life

Susan Headley was born in 1959 in Altona, Illinois. By her own account, she experienced a difficult childhood and dropped out of school in the eighth grade. She later relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she worked as a rock and roll groupie and as a sex worker.

Entry into Hacking and Phreaking

As a young person, Headley developed a strong interest in telephone networks and the methods used to circumvent them. According to The Hacker's Handbook (1990), she hacked the United States phone system at the age of 17 in 1977, making her "one of the earliest of the present generation of hackers." Her particular area of expertise was what she termed "psychological subversion" — a practice now widely known as social engineering. This approach involved pretexting and deliberate misrepresentation in contact with targeted organizations in order to extract information useful for further intrusion.

Collaboration with Mitnick and de Payne

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Headley collaborated with computer hacker Kevin Mitnick, known as Condor, and phone phreaker Lewis de Payne, known as Roscoe. Together, the group worked on hacking into Pacific Bell systems and other targets, though conflicts arose among the members. In 1981–1982, Headley testified against both Mitnick and de Payne in a theft case connected to Pacific Bell, and provided additional evidence against de Payne in a case involving the hacking of U.S. Leasing. She received immunity in exchange for her cooperation.

Public Appearances and Advocacy

In 1982, Headley appeared on the television news program 20/20, where she discussed methods of circumventing security systems. Among the techniques she described was "garbology" — the practice of dumpster diving to recover system documentation and other sensitive materials discarded by telephone company staff.

On October 25, 1983, she testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, addressing the technical capabilities and motivations of hackers and phone phreaks. Both in her 20/20 appearance and her Senate testimony, Headley characterized the motivations of the hackers she knew as rooted in curiosity, personal challenge, and intense competition with one another, rather than financial gain.

In 1995, Headley presented a talk at DEF CON titled "Social Engineering and Psychological Subversion of Trusted Systems," which included discussion of seduction as a component of social engineering strategies.

Career

During the 1980s, Headley worked as a security consultant, applying her expertise in social engineering and system vulnerabilities in a professional capacity. She also worked as a professional poker player.

In 1994, Headley was elected to public office in California, serving as City Clerk of California City.

Notable Work and Recognition

In 1991, journalists Katie Hafner and John Markoff published Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier, a book that covered Headley alongside Mitnick, de Payne, and other figures from the early hacking scene. Headley has since been recognized as one of only a few women among early phone phreaks and one of the earliest known female hackers. Writer Claire L. Evans profiled her in The Verge in 2022, describing her as "a mythological figure in hacking history." As of 2024, a film based on that profile was reported to be in development.

Personal Life

Headley is married and lives in the Midwest. She is a coin collector and coin expert.