Cult of the Dead Cow
by Joseph Menn · first published 2019
3mentions
1recommended by
3HN commenters
2024first – last mentioned
33% recommend67% neutral
The shocking untold story of the elite secret society of hackers fighting to protect our privacy, our freedom -- 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,
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
…Another book from college. Absolutely love it too, specifically how it shows the 'blue sky' nature of early computers. People had so many awesome ideas about how this new technology could be used. [3] Cult of the Dead Cow - Nonfiction - I read this more recently. A great look at hacker culture; including the difficult, unhappy aspects. If you fall outside a certain political segment it may have some frustrating elements,…
on “Ask HN: Nowadays what Hackers like to read?” ↗The Soul of a New Machine and The Cuckoo's Egg are essential! Can't recommend either highly enough. Still looking forward to reading Cult of the Dead Cow and Dealers of Lightning. Reading AlbertCory's book now, which appears to cover some of the same ground as "Dealers".
on “Ask HN: What are good books on Computer History/Lore/Iconic figures in Computing” ↗After reading "Permanent Record" by Edward Snowden and "Cult of the Dead Cow" by Joseph Menn, I can't help but feel like the NSA is basically "the bad guys", and I assumed most hackers would feel the same. Are people really excited to do challenges like these for them? I don't…
on “NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024” ↗