ABOUT THE BOOK

Hacker culture can be esoteric, but this entertaining reference is here to help. Written by a longtime hacker (on the good side, not the evil side), Hacker Culture: A to Z introduces you to key people and companies, fundamental ideas, and milestone films, games, and magazines in the annals of hacking. From phreaking to deepfakes, and from APT (advanced package tool) to zombie malware, grasping the terminology is crucial to understanding hacker culture and history.

This book from Kim Crawley (8 Steps to Better Security) is written in a conversational style and organized from A to Z. Read it like a coffee table book or a desk reference.

If you’re just getting started on your hacker journey, you’ll find plenty here to guide your learning and help you understand the references and cultural allusions you come across. More experienced hackers will find historical depth, wry humor, and some surprising facts about familiar cultural touchstones.

• Understand the relationship between hacker culture and cybersecurity
• Understand the difference between hackers and cybercriminals
• Get to know the ideas behind the hacker ethos, like “knowledge should be free”
• Explore topics and publications central to hacker culture, from 2600 Magazine to Cult of the Dead Cow
• Appreciate the history of cybersecurity
• Learn about key figures in the history of hacker culture

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Crawley has been a cybersecurity researcher and writer for well over a decade; she’s especially fascinated by malware, social engineering, and advanced persistent threats.

Some of the companies Kim has worked for over the years include Sophos, AT&T Cybersecurity, BlackBerry Cylance, Tripwire, Hack The Box, and Venafi. She currently works for IOActive.

She co-authored The Pentester Blueprint with Phillip Wylie (Wiley Tech), and authored 8 Steps to Better Security (Wiley Tech). Her new book, Hacker Culture: A to Z (O’Reilly Media) will be out in October 2023. Additionally, her magazine articles and blogs have appeared in 2600 Magazine, CIO Magazine, Sophos Naked Security, AT&T Cybersecurity’s blog, Infosecurity Magazine, Hack The Box, and many other places .

Kim has also recently given talks about penetration testing and hacker culture at SANS PenTest HackFest and Wild West Hackin’ Fest.

When she’s not working, Kim loves JRPGs (especially the Persona series), trying to cook Japanese and Korean dishes, goth music and fashion, and falling down Wikipedia and TV Tropes rabbit holes.

Kim lives in Toronto, Canada.

TALKING POINTS

• Did you know that most of the technological innovations on our phones, PCs, and the internet were developed with US military (DARPA) funding?
• Kim can explain why not all hackers are bad. Did you know that Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and other Silicon Valley innovators were hackers?
• Tips on how you can protect your phone and PC like a hacker!
• With Twitter becoming increasingly unreliable, users are flocking to Threads, BlueSky, Spoutible, and Mastodon in droves. But in the process, could you be exposing your online life to cybercriminals?
• Did you know that up until the 1970s, most computer programmers were women? Kim can explain the early history of computer programming, featuring Grace Hopper, Margaret Hamilton, and Ada Lovelace.
• We keep hearing about the Dark Web. Is it illegal? What goes on there? Should you be worried?