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Cult of the Dead Cow

How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World
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Brief Description
The shocking untold story of the elite secret society of hackers fighting to protect our freedom, "a hugely important piece of the puzzle for anyone who wants to understand the forces shaping the internet age" (The New York Times Book Review). Cult of the Dead Cow... Read More
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The shocking untold story of the elite secret society of hackers fighting to protect our freedom, "a hugely important piece of the puzzle for anyone who wants to understand the forces shaping the internet age" (The New York Times Book Review)

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The shocking untold story of the elite secret society of hackers fighting to protect our freedom, "a hugely important piece of the puzzle for anyone who wants to understand the forces shaping the internet age" (The New York Times Book Review).

Cult of the Dead Cow is the tale of the oldest active, most respected, and most famous American hacking group of all time. With its origins in the earliest days of the internet, the cDc is full of oddball charactersโ€”activists, artists, and musiciansโ€”some of whom went on to advise presidents, cabinet members, and CEOs, and who now walk the corridors of power in Washington and Silicon Valley.

Today, the group and its followers are battling electoral misinformation, making personal data safer, and organizing to keep technology a force for good instead of for surveillance and oppression. Now featuring a new afterword with updates on the collective, Cult of the Dead Cow describes how, at a time when governments, corporations, and criminals hold immense power, a small band of tech iconoclasts is on our side fighting back.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781541706118

Publisher: PublicAffairs,U.S.

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 December 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: PublicAffairs,U.S.

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 208.0mm

Weight: 280g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Joseph Menn is an investigative reporter on cybersecurity and disinformation at The Washington Post, where he was a co-finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. He previously wrote for Reuters, Financial Times, and Los Angeles Times. His other books include Fatal System Error and All the Rave. He lives in San Francisco, California.

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