Cult of the Dead Cow

A taste of cybersecurity history and culture

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I recently read the book, Cult of the Dead Cow. As I was reading it, I felt a little jealous. I remember having the same feeling when I read about Jobs and Wozniak tinkering with electronics at a young age. I was learning about computers during the same period these kids were creating their bulletin boards, but I never got involved in any of these groups. How could they connect when I could not? There were no other nerdy kids around. I didn’t know about bulletin boards and couldn’t get online if I wanted.

Like members of the CDC, I grew up with limitations related to long-distance in a small town where my parents prohibited using the modem due to the associated cost. In my household, things were pretty strict. I’m not sure I would have participated in all the CDC activities as a result. Some questionable activities existed during the gap when computers were just coming out, and no laws existed regarding their use. As for phreaking, something the book explains, I wouldn’t dare touch the modem, let alone get involved in that. The repercussions would be painful. We lived far from town and movie theaters, so sadly, I only saw War Games a few years ago. It came out around the same time I taught myself to program from a book.

I always wonder…what if I had watched War Games back then? Would it have inspired me to try to somehow get access to that modem that was off-limits? Would I have found a way to connect with other kids messing around with computers outside of my small town in Washington state?

It’s interesting to me that some of the major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft sprung up in Seattle and San Francisco, but the CDC started in Texas, and a major hacking hub sprung up in Boston. Other cities make an appearance later in the book. It probably wouldn’t have mattered if there were kids geeking out in Seattle because that was a foreign land to me. The “local” news people on TV who lived over an hour away talked about weather and events there that didn’t pertain to us. It was the place we journeyed to every so often when the relatives came to visit to see Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and ride the now non-existent trolley on the waterfront.

Maybe if I had met someone like the CDC members when I grew up, I would have not taken a hiatus from computers when I didn’t know what to do next. Who knows? Perhaps not having this connection led me to do things I would not have done if I had my nose buried in a computer the whole time. In grade school, I mostly interacted with a couple of girls I went to school with, and the neighbor girls. My parents sent me to small private schools. I had three people class from 5th to 8th grade.

The girls from school and I were so different. Their mom was Filipino. Their dad met her in the military. These girls were short, petite, and cute. I was tall and felt like a giraffe when I stood next to them. They were girlie. I was nerdy, though I attempted to be a bit girlie at some points, reading the latest teen fashion magazines. We used to play in their mom’s craft store out in the middle of the woods in an old, run-down house. I liked making things with all materials strewn about the store. There wasn’t anyone actively at the store handling the cash register. I never saw it open and wondered if anyone ever bought anything there. It made me think about running a business someday.

The neighbor girls and I had little in common except that we were in the same 4-H club and went horseback riding together. We had some bonding moments, like when we stayed out a bit too late on the military reservation in the dark, at which point my parents called search and rescue. We ended up riding through a group of soldiers with tents and campfires. They were friendly and said hi to us as we nervously moseyed through. My parents should have known the horses always knew the way home, and we met them on the road back. The neighbor girls also had an Atari on which we played Pong and Space Invaders, but that’s about it. For programming or anything more technical, I was on my own with magazines and a book.

I’ve already written about how I got into technology and cyber security in other blog posts and my book. It was all kind of an accident. I always wonder if I would be farther along by now if somehow I had connected with other kids who shared a common interest. Despite the lack of encouragement or connections, technology sucked me in everywhere I went. Somehow I’m still here doing plugging away at computers and security, trying to move things along in the right direction the best I can.

Although I was never a member, as I read the CDC book, I recognized several names. Many people mentioned in the CDC book are on Twitter, and I got connected to them through social media in one way or another. I’ve been researching security for a long time. I discovered many of the people through a shared interest in security and technology. I didn’t know they were part of this group.

Initially, I scoured the Internet and found organizations, mailing lists, and publications that seem to have insight into what was going on in cybersecurity that was not widely known. I read books and eventually, took classes. Sometimes I heard stories that piqued my curiosity. I would investigate those topics further. I learned about the L0pht from Kim Zetter’s book on Stuxtnet. I already thought Mudge and his cohorts who testified in front of congress about the lack of security in technical products were pretty cool by the time I read the CDC book. I followed anyone I could on Twitter from that and other publications that sounded interesting and knowledgeable on security topics.

As I progressed in security, I started attending conferences. I followed people who gave compelling talks. I searched around online for other people posting security research. I obtained names and handles through presentations and articles with security insights and connections of connections. My search led me to many intriguing people.

I found the account with a picture of a fat cat wearing glasses who seemed pretty smart. He posted things about reversing malware, something that I had just gotten certified to do and was trying to learn more about it. Later, that turned out to be Marcus Hutchins, who stopped the infamous WannaCry virus and became somewhat of a celebrity. Soon after, he had a run-in with the FBI. I followed the whole story as it progressed, probably with greater interest due to the Twitter connection. Sometimes Twitter makes you feel like you know people, even if they have no idea who you are.

Perhaps Twitter has become the security community I lacked as a kid. Twitter and blog posts are the new bulletin board. It’s the online community of experts and noobs sharing research and ideas. And yes, sometimes drama. If you’re not on Twitter, it’s an excellent place to find real-time information on the latest cybersecurity threats and security research. I may not always know people personally I follow on Twitter, but I know their work. I read their tweets, blog posts, research, and watch their presentations to learn more about the topics I research. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I meet them in person.

When I was speaking at conferences (before this crazy coronavirus), I was fortunate enough to bump into some kindred spirits. I don’t talk to them too often because we live far apart, but occasionally we jump on the phone or send each other a note to catch up. It’s always nice to have someone around who can relate to your struggles and listen to your nerdy tech talk. I’ve also had the great fortune to hang out and making friends with other AWS heroes from around the world as a member of that group. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to work with some brilliant people that I still keep in touch with even as I run my own security company.

Although I can’t help wishing that sometimes that I, too, had been in a nerdy computer group back in the day, my story goes to show that no matter where you came from, you can get involved and any point. And if I’m lucky, hopefully, I can make a difference in the fight against cybercriminals — this last point possibly making me different from some participating in certain activities in the CDC book. I’d say out of all the characters I most relate to Mudge, though I am nowhere near as smart! I just like his attitude of working in, with, and against the machine without crossing legal lines that get himself into trouble. The goal: to make the cyber world a better, safer place.

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About Teri Radichel:
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⭐️ Author: Cybersecurity Books
⭐️ Presentations: Presentations by Teri Radichel
⭐️ Recognition: SANS Award, AWS Security Hero, IANS Faculty
⭐️ Certifications: SANS ~ GSE 240
⭐️ Education: BA Business, Master of Software Engineering, Master of Infosec
⭐️ Company: Penetration Tests, Assessments, Phone Consulting ~ 2nd Sight Lab

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