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.
