Hacker States

Hacker States provides a detailed, engrossing, and extensively researched account covering the contradictions underlying the unprecedented surge in acts of hacking of the last decade. Luca Follis and Adam Fish juxtapose the use of similar tactics by different actors and institutions—hacktivists, security researchers, and government agencies—to trace transformations around political dissent, whistleblowing, and nation-state machinations. For those seeking to grasp the geopolitical significance of hacking, this book is indispensable reading.

Gabriella Coleman, Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at McGill University; author of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy

Follis and Fish take us on a journey into the state's own use of hacking, introducing us to today's whistleblowers and their commercial counterparts. The study reflects on the persecutions of 'boundary workers' who bounce between good and evil, and explores the informational gray zones between the deep state and the public interest. Which side are you on?

Geert Lovink, media theorist and internet critic, Institute of Network Cultures

Both intellectually sophisticated and delightful to read, Hacker States provides one of the most robust examinations of state power, technology, and hacking to date. It is a must-read for scholars and students alike.

Kevin F. Steinmetz, Associate Professor, Kansas State University; author of Hacked: A Radical Approach to Hacker Culture and Crime

Hackers were once rebels to any system and this brilliant book shows how governments have taken hacker-rebels and integrated many of them. In a world made more dangerous by increasing numbers of cyberattacks between states, Follis and Fish demonstrate insightfully how government hackers are central to the information state.

Tim Jordan, Professor of Digital Cultures, University of Sussex