Hack to the Future - by Emily Crose (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Understand the history of hacking culture and the genesis of a powerful modern subculture

In Hack to the Future: How World Governments Relentlessly Pursue and Domesticate Hackers, veteran information security professional Emily Crose delivers a deep dive into the history of the United States government's nuanced relationship with hacker culture and the role the latter has played in the former's domestic policy and geopolitics. In the book, you'll learn about significant events that have changed the way the hacking community has been perceived by the public, the state, and other hackers.

The author explains how the US government managed to weaponize a subculture widely seen as misanthropic and awkward into a lever of geopolitical power. You'll also discover how:

• The release of the Morris worm and the Melissa virus changed the way hackers were seen and treated in the United States
• Different government agencies, including the National Security Agency and NASA treated - and were treated by - domestic hackers
• Hacking went from being an exclusive hobby for socially awkward nerds to a substantial lever of geopolitical power in just a few decades

Perfect for anyone with an interest in hacking, tech, infosec, and geopolitics, Hack to the Future is a must-read for those who seek to better their understanding of the history of hacking culture and how we got to where we are today.

From the Back Cover

DISCOVER THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF HOW THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TRANSFORMED HACKERS INTO A POWERFUL GEOPOLITICAL WEAPON

Hack to the Future: How World Governments Relentlessly Pursue and Domesticate Hackers is an intriguing and one-of-a-kind exploration of the singular relationship between the United States government and the U.S. hacking subculture over the last several decades. Author and veteran infosec expert Emily Crose explores the complicated and fraught interactions between the two groups, demonstrating how the state sought to weaponize and exploit what began as a nerdy group of bored, young, males, eventually transforming them into a novel and effective geopolitical weapon.

You'll discover how major cybersecurity events, like the releases of the Morris worm and the Melissa virus changed the way the American and international public perceived and understood hackers and how various government entities, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA), treated--and were treated by--hackers.

An essential and fascinating read that's perfect for anyone interested in U.S. foreign policy, technology, information security, and government, Hack to the Future will earn a prominent place in the libraries of everyone seeking to deepen their understanding of how contemporary hacking culture came to be.

About the Author

EMILY CROSE is a senior technical director at Sophos Labs. She works on Linux runtime threat detection and has over a decade's experience in the field of information security. She served in the U.S. intelligence community for seven years before entering the private sector and is the co-founder of Hacking History, a project investigating the United States government's handling of the hacking community.