Hack to the Future

How World Governments Relentlessly Pursue and Domesticate Hackers

By: Emily Crose

Narrated by: Erin deWard

In Hack to the Future: How World Governments Relentlessly Pursue and Domesticate Hackers, veteran information security professional Emily Crose delivers a deep dive into the history of the United States government's nuanced relationship with hacker culture and the role the latter has played in the former's domestic policy and geopolitics. In the book, you'll learn about significant events that have changed the way the hacking community has been perceived by the public, the state, and other hackers.

The author explains how the US government managed to weaponize a subculture widely seen as misanthropic and awkward into a lever of geopolitical power. You'll also discover how the release of the Morris worm and the Melissa virus changed the way hackers were seen and treated in the United States; how different government agencies, including the National Security Agency and NASA, treated—and were treated by—domestic hackers; and how hacking went from being an exclusive hobby for socially awkward nerds to a substantial lever of geopolitical power in just a few decades.

Perfect for anyone with an interest in hacking, tech, infosec, and geopolitics, Hack to the Future is a must-listen for those who seek to better their understanding of the history of hacking culture and how we got to where we are today.

©2025 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (P)2025 Ascent Audio