Cult of the Dead Cow
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Cult of the Dead Cow, also known as cDc or cDc Communications, is a computer
on its site, also titled "[Cult of the Dead Cow]". New media are released first through the blog, which also features thoughts and opinions of the group's members.Timeline
_ _ ((___)) [ x x ] \ / (' ') (U) |
cDc's ASCII art cowskull logo |
The group was formed in June 1984 at the Farm Pac
In the 1980s the Cult of the Dead Cow organized and maintained a loose collective of affiliated BBSs across the US and Canada. It was during this time that the cDc is credited with coining the term "31337" as an alternative spelling of "
In December 1990, cDc member Jesse Dryden (aka Drunkfux), the son of
In 1991, cDc was named "Sassiest Underground Computer Group" by
October 1994 saw the creation of the cDc's
The cDc declared war on the Church of Scientology in 1995 during the alt.religion.scientology controversy,[7][8] stating
We believe that El Ron Hubbard [sic] is actually none other than Heinrich Himmler of the SS, who fled to Argentina and is now responsible for the stealing of babies from hospitals and raising them as 'super-soldiers' for the purpose of overthrowing the U.S. Fed. Govt. in a bloody revolution. We fear plans for a 'Fourth Reich' to be established on our home soil under the vise-like grip of oppression known as Scientology!
In 1997, the cDc began distributing original MP3-format music on its website.[9]
In August 1998, they presented their popular Back Orifice tool at DEF CON 6.
In February 2000, the cDc was the subject of an 11-minute documentary short titled "Disinformation". Also in February 2000, cDc member Mudge briefed President Bill Clinton on Internet security.[10]
cDc communications
cDc communications is the parent organisation of Cult of the Dead Cow, one of three groups that fall under cDc communications. The other two are the
Ninja Strike Force
In 1996, the cDc announced the birth of its Ninja Strike Force, a group of "
Membership in the NSF is granted by the cDc to those individuals who stand out in their support of the cDc and its ideals. Members are recognized for their abilities, capabilities, and being the best of the best in their skills.
In 2006 the Ninja Strike Force launched its own microsite.[13]
Hacktivismo
In late 1999, the cDc created Hacktivismo, an independent group under the cDc communications umbrella dedicated to the creation of anti-
Crossover associations with other groups
In addition to the obvious associations between Cult of the Dead Cow, Hacktivismo, and the Ninja Strike Force, the cDc also has crossover associations with several other organizations. These include the
Electronic publication
During the 1980s, the cDc was well known throughout the
The Cult of the Dead Cow has been credited with coining the term "elite" as used in the hacker scene/computer underground in cDc textfiles of the 1980s.[21][22][23]
The ezine has led to some criticism of the group over the years; in a 1994 episode of Geraldo entitled "Computer Vice," Geraldo Rivera referred to the group as "a bunch of sickos" for having published an article called "Sex with Satan," originally published in 1988.[24][25]
Hacktivism
In 1996, cDc member Omega used the term "hacktivism" in an email to other group members.[26] The group has been active in hacktivist causes since that time.
Hong Kong Blondes
In the late 1990s, the cDc claimed to have worked with a group of Chinese dissidents called "The Hong Kong Blondes." The group’s ostensible goal was to disrupt computer networks within the
Cyberwar
On January 7, 1999, the cDc joined with an international coalition of hackers to denounce a call to cyberwar against the governments of
Milošević trial
When questioning Patrick Ball during his International War Crimes Tribunal in 2002, Slobodan Milošević asked Ball about his relationship with the cDc.[36] Ball had given a talk and been a member of a cDc-sponsored panel on hacktivism[37] at DEF CON 9 in 2001.
Goolag campaign
In early 2006, the cDc launched the "Goolag" (a play on
Tools
The cDc has released several tools, for both hackers/system administrators and for the general public. Many of these are related to computer security and are sometimes dubbed "hacker tools".
The Automated Prayer Project
The Automated Prayer Project,[44] written by Javaman, is "a VT420 connected to a Sun Ultra5 via a serial cable which displays the output of a continuously running program. The signaling rate is limited to 9600 baud. The program itself cycles through the Rosary, displaying a new individual prayer once every thirty seconds. Each individual prayer is then sent out via UDP to a random machine on the Internet on a random port."
Back Orifice
Back Orifice (often shortened to BO) is a computer program designed for remote system administration. It enables a user to control a computer running Microsoft Windows operating system from a remote location. The name is a pun on Microsoft BackOffice Server software. The program debuted at DEF CON 6 on August 1, 1998. It was the brainchild of Sir Dystic. According to the group, its purpose was to demonstrate the lack of security in Microsoft's operating system Windows 98.[45]
Back Orifice 2000
Back Orifice 2000 (often shortened to BO2k) is a computer program that is similar in function to Back Orifice. Back Orifice 2000 debuted on July 10, 1999 at DEF CON 7. The original code was written by
Camera/Shy
Camera/Shy, originally called Peek-a-Booty,
NBName
NBName is a computer program that can be used to carry out denial-of-service attacks that can disable NetBIOS services on Windows machines. It was written by Sir Dystic and released July 29, 2000 at the DEF CON 8 convention in Las Vegas.
ScatterChat
ScatterChat is an encrypted
The Six/Four System
The Six/Four System is a
SMBRelay and SMBRelay2
SMBRelay and SMBRelay2 are computer programs that can be used to carry out
Torpark
XeroBank Browser (formerly known as Torpark) is a variant of the
Veilid
Veilid is a peer-to-peer network and application framework, described as "like Tor, but for apps".[59][60] It was released on August 11, 2023 at DEF CON 31 in Las Vegas.[61][62]
Whisker
Whisker is a project authored by Rain Forest Puppy that is no longer in development. It checked for thousands of known security vulnerabilities in web servers.[63] Whisker Version 1.4 was co-released by the cDc at DEF CON 8 in 2000.
See also
- 2600: The Hacker Quarterly
- Chaos Computer Club
- DEADBEEF
- H.O.P.E.
- Legion of Doom
- Masters of Deception
- Operation Cybersnare
- Phrack
Notes
- ^ The slaughterhouse, a hangout of many Lubbock youth, was burned down in 1996. The burned out building was used as a haunted house for several Halloweens after that. In 2001, the grounds surrounding it were converted into the "West Texas Canyon Amphitheater" and re-opened as the Lone Star Amphitheater in 2006)
References
- ^ "Cult of the Dead Cow Membership List". www.cultdeadcow.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "Beto O'Rourke's secret membership in America's oldest hacking group". www.reuters.com. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ Mello, John P.(2015) "Google Expands Bug Bounty Program Archived 2023-03-28 at the Wayback Machine" February 2, 2015. E-Commerce Times
- ^ Chiesa, Raoul et al(2008). Profiling Hackers: The Science of Criminal Profiling as Applied to the World of Hacking, p. 223. CRC Press.
- ^ "Google Groups". groups.google.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ Fleming, Reid (November 1, 1994). "Official cDc Press Release Concerning President Reagan". Cult of the Dead Cow. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ Swamp Ratte' (June 4, 1995). "Statement Concerning the 'Church' of Scientology". Cult of the Dead Cow. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved June 14, 2006.
- ^ Leyden, John. "Critics split over DDoS attacks on Scientology Archived 2020-01-12 at the Wayback Machine." The Register, January 25, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
- ^ "'Kingpin' by Weasel-MX". cDc communications. June 27, 1997. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ Young, Steve, Major Garrett, and the Associated Press. "Clinton fights hackers with a Hacker Archived 2006-05-25 at the Wayback Machine." CNN Online 15 February 2000 retrieved 20 April 2006
- ^ "Press Release". cDc communications. October 22, 1996. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ "Invision Power Services CIC Default Page". Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ "Cult of the Dead Cow: Ninja Strike Force". Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood (July 4, 2001). "The Hacktivismo Declaration - International bookburning in progress". Cult of the Dead Cow. Archived from the original on April 22, 2006. Retrieved July 20, 2006.
- ^ ISBN 0-262-23227-8.
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood. "Waging Peace on the Internet Archived 2011-05-13 at the Wayback Machine."
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood and Eric Grimm. "Hacktivismo Enhanced-Source Software License Agreement Archived 2012-02-04 at the Wayback Machine." November 26, 2002. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Darpa’s Star Hacker Looks to WikiLeak-Proof Pentagon Archived 2013-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, Spencer Ackerman, Wired, August 31, 2010, retr 2011 12 5
- ^ "Cult of the Dead Cow". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ McFadden (July 19, 2021). "'Leetspeak' 101: What Exactly Is It?". Interesting Engineering. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Grammarist (3 October 2016). "Leet, leetspeak and 1337". Grammaristg. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Mello, John P. (February 2, 2015). "Google Expands Bug Bounty Program". E-Commerce Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- ^ Psycoe (February 7, 1988). "Sex with Satan". Cult of the Dead Cow. Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
- ^ "Computer Vice." Geraldo episode, April 17, 1994. Referenced here (archived version) and here (archived version), both retrieved July 24, 2006.
- CNet News, March 30, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ cDC, Members (August 1997). Beyond HOPE: Cult of the Dead Cow and World Domination (Speech). Beyond HOPE. New York City. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Hesseldahl, Arik. "Hacking for Human Rights? Archived 2016-11-19 at the Wayback Machine." Wired News July 14, 1998. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- Wired NewsDecember 1, 1998. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood (July 15, 1998). "The Longer March". Cult of the Dead Cow. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood (December 23, 1998). "Chinese Checkers". Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ "It's splitsville for the cult of the dead cow and the Hong Kong blondes". Cult of the Dead Cow. December 15, 1998. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood (March 23, 2015). "Blondie Wong And The Hong Kong Blondes hacking, human rights, and hype". Medium. Archived from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- Menn, Joseph (2019). Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World. PublicAffairs. p. 115.
- 2600: The Hacker Quarterly; Chaos Computer Club; Cult of the Dead Cow; !Hispahack; L0pht Heavy Industries; Phrack; Pulhas (January 7, 1999). "Hackers on planet earth against infowar". Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2006.)
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ^ Macki. "milosevic and the cDc Archived 2023-04-07 at the Wayback Machine." Politech listserv, March 17, 2002. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ "Hacktivism and Human Rights: Using Technology to Raise the Bar". Archived from the original on 2005-12-17. Retrieved 2006-01-08.
- ^ Krass Katt. "cDc launches global campaign against Google Archived 2006-07-16 at the Wayback Machine." Cult of the Dead Cow blog post, February 12, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ Jardin, Xeni. "Hacktivists parody Google logo for protest, China human rights fundraiser Archived 2006-08-06 at the Wayback Machine." Boing Boing blog post, February 12, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- AdBusters#65, May–June 2006. Online edition retrieved October 19, 2006.
- ^ Krass Katt. "Goolag/Google protest in Dharamsala Archived 2006-08-10 at the Wayback Machine." Cult of the Dead Cow blog post, February 14, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood. "Congress jerks off, gang of four reach for raincoats Archived 2006-08-10 at the Wayback Machine." Cult of the Dead Cow Press Release, February 15, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ Ruffin, Oxblood. "Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc) Launches Campaign Against Internet Censorship in China." Cult of the Dead Cow Press Release, February 16, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ "Philtered". Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ cDc communications. "Back Orifice Press Release Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine." Cult of the Dead Cow Press Release, July 21, 1998. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ cDc communications. "Back Orifice 2000 Press Release Archived 2005-03-05 at the Wayback Machine." Cult of the Dead Cow Press Release, July 10, 1999. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ "BO2K". Archived from the original on 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
- ^ "Camera/Shy Outflanks Net Content Censorship". Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
- Business Weekonline edition, August 5, 2002. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
- ^ Tectonic staff, "Secure messenger to guard against totalitarian governments Archived 2006-08-10 at the Wayback Machine." Tectonic, July 21, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2006.
- ^ Doctorow, Cory, "ScatterChat: anonymous, secure chat Archived 2006-08-11 at the Wayback Machine." Boing Boing blog post, July 22, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2006.
- ^ Murdoch, Steven J., "Protocol design is hard - Flaws in ScatterChat Archived 2015-06-11 at the Wayback Machine." Light Blue Touchpaper blog post, August 11, 2006. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
- ^ Schneier, Bruce, "ScatterChat Archived 2007-02-12 at the Wayback Machine." Schneier on Security blog post, July 31, 2006. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
- ^ Mixter. "Six/Four System Protocol Specs," 2003. [email protected].
- ^ LaCroix, Norman E. "Hacktivismo_DoC_BIS.pdf Archived 2006-09-06 at the Wayback Machine." United States Department of Commerce, January 2003. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ "Hacktivismo Releases Torpark for Anonymous, Portable Web Browsing Archived 2006-10-13 at the Wayback Machine." Cult of the Dead Cow/Hacktivismo press release, September 19, 2006. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
- ^ "Free anonymising browser debuts Archived 2006-09-21 at the Wayback Machine." BBC News Online, September 20, 2006. Retrieved September 22, 2006.
- ZDNet, September 22, 2006. Retrieved September 22, 2006.
- ^ "Cult of the Dead Cow Launches Encryption Protocol to Save Your Privacy". Gizmodo. 2 August 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
- ^ Menn, Joseph (3 August 2023). "Hacking group plans system to encrypt social media and other apps". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
- ^ "Press Release 2023-06-22". cultdeadcow.com. Cult of the Dead Cow. Archived from the original on 2023-08-06. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
- ^ Christien 'DilDog' Rioux; Katelyn 'Medus4' Bowden. "Launch Talk". Veilid. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Sleeping with the enemy". 13 August 2002. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.