Let's face it, hacking got a bad reputation—it has been in the making for over 30 years, it got worse, and we have to change that. Humans want to have it simple; they want to define things as bad or good, white or black, heaven or hell—but there is so much more in between.

ITSPmagazine has always taken a firm stand on the differentiation between hackers and cybercriminals. It sides with the curious minds that invent, improve, question, discover, reject the status quo, and embrace equality, freedom, and diversity—the hacker community.

Critical thinking makes us human and got us to where we are today; of course, not everything is positive, but it is what we make of it. Acquiring knowledge and learning from past mistakes is what "should" make us better humans too.

In this podcast, we learn the story of one of the first hackers' groups created back in the 80s—a time when just to access and use the Internet you had to have a hacker mentality, and War Games was inspiring generations to come.

The CDC (Cult of the Dead Cow) is full of oddball characters—activists, artists, even future politicians. It is an elite secret society of hackers fighting to protect our privacy, our freedom, and even democracy itself.

It is an extraordinary story and what makes it even more remarkable is that we hear it from the author himself, Joseph Menn: an investigative reporter for Reuters and the longest-serving and most respected mainstream journalist on cybersecurity.

Have a seat, open your mind, and let it be free.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World

The shocking untold story of the elite secret society of hackers fighting to protect our privacy, our freedom, and even democracy itself.

Cult of the Dead Cow is the tale of the oldest, most respected, and most famous American hacking group of all time. Though until now it has remained mostly anonymous, its members invented the concept of hacktivism, released the top tool for testing password security, and created what was for years the best technique for controlling computers from afar, forcing giant companies to work harder to protect customers. They contributed to the development of Tor, the most important privacy tool on the net, and helped build cyberweapons that advanced US security without injuring anyone.

With its origins in the earliest days of the Internet, the cDc is full of oddball characters -- activists, artists, even future politicians. Many of these hackers have become top executives and advisors walking the corridors of power in Washington and Silicon Valley. The most famous is former Texas Congressman and current presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, whose time in the cDc set him up to found a tech business, launch an alternative publication in El Paso, and make long-shot bets on unconventional campaigns.

Today, the group and its followers are battling electoral misinformation, making personal data safer, and battling to keep technology a force for good instead of for surveillance and oppression. Cult of the Dead Cow shows how governments, corporations, and criminals came to hold immense power over individuals and how we can fight back against them.”

Guest Joseph Menn, Author, Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World | Projects Reporter, Reuters (@josephmenn on Twitter)

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Resources Book: Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World — https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/joseph-menn/cult-of-the-dead-cow/9781541762381/

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