Based in Lubbock, Texas, CULT OF THE DEAD COW (cDc) is the most-accomplished and longest-running group in the computer underground. Founded in 1984 and widely considered to be the most elite people to ever walk the face of the earth, this think tank has been referred to as both "a bunch of sickos" (Geraldo Rivera) and "the sexiest group of computer hackers there ever was" (Jane Pratt, _Sassy_ and _Jane_ magazines). The cDc is a leading developer of Internet privacy and security tools, which are all free to the public. In addition, the cDc created the first electronic publication, which is still going strong.
The cDc Grand Imperial Dynasty includes a former Presidential Advisor on computer security, a Harvard researcher, a former U.N. official, an assistant district attorney, a professor of logic, an award-winning filmmaker, several published authors, a video game developer, an Eagle Scout, programmers of every sort, graphic artists, musicians, currency traders, and a Merovingian. And these are just the members who have chosen to make their association with the cDc known to the public.
Several cDc members have also been (or currently are) members of other high profile groups, both underground and otherwise. These include the L0pht, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Legion of Doom (LOD/H), the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), the Hasty Pastry, Restricted Data Transmissions (RDT), the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), the Masters of Deception (MOD), the USENIX Association, the Walnut Factory, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Soylent Communications, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), New Hack City, and the Youth International Party Line/Technology Assistance Program (YIPL/TAP).
Rumors abound about the cDc: that it has disrupted communications by moving satellites; that it is at war with the "Church" of Scientology; that it gave Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's disease; that Slobodan Milosevic mentioned it while cross-examining a witness during his War Crimes Tribunal; that it is simply the modern incarnation of an ancient gnostic order that dates back to the cult of Hathor (the cow goddess) in ancient Egypt; that it meets in a secret bunker under an abandoned military base in the Nevada desert.
These are all true. But there's so much more.
For over twenty years, the cDc has proven itself as an innovative force in the computer underground. In 1984, the cDc invented the electronic publication. In 1990, the cDc's HoHoCon defined the modern computer underground convention. In every U.S. Presidential Election since 1992, the cDc has run a candidate. In 1994, the cDc became the first computer undergound group to have its own Usenet newsgroup. In 1996, the cDc coined the term "hacktivism." Also in 1996, the Ninja Strike Force (cDc's elite cadre of cheerleader-assassins) was founded. In 1997, years before everyone and their dog had jumped on the file sharing bandwagon, it was distributing original mp3-format music on its website. In 1998 and 1999, the cDc's "Back Orifice" series was launched to open the eyes of consumers regarding the security of their computer operating systems. To this day, Back Orifice and BO2k are among the most popular remote system administration tools among both hackers and IT professionals. Since 1999, Hacktivismo (a special projects group within the cDc) has been at the forefront of the ongoing struggle for human rights in and out of cyberspace. In 2002, the cDc and Hacktivismo drafted their own human rights-friendly software license and earned further distinction as the only underground computer groups to ever receive U.S. Department of Commerce approval to export strong encryption in software. In 2004, the cDc and the NSF launched the Bovine Dawn Dojo Forum, the greatest on-line community of all time. Nothing can compare to the money-throwing, stage-diving, crotch-grabbing, guitar-wailing, inter-species sex-depicting, computer-smashing & panty-wetting experience that is a live cDc performance.
And that's just the beginning...
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