Pirates of the cyber eon

This course examines the history and future of hackers. If data is the new oil, hackers are the new pirates. They breach defences, enact sabotage, and plunder their targets. Such actions lead to financial gain, intelligence advantage, and coercive influence. Their order is notorious. Yet, like the privateers of old, some hackers are subservient to the state. They provide critical law enforcement, espionage, and warfare capabilities. This course explores the hacker movement’s genesis, analysing its impacts across crime, espionage, and warfare, before assessing whether hackers are ultimately allies or enemies of the state.