Wardialing was the original hunt for connectivity, dialing thousands of numbers to find active modems and hidden systems. Then came wardriving, swapping phone lines for WiFi signals. With a laptop and a car, hackers mapped unsecured networks across neighborhoods and cities, often marking finds with chalk on curbs and sidewalks.

But there was another evolution. Mapping the internet itself. Tools like Nmap and later ZMap allowed users to scan vast ranges of IP addresses, searching for live hosts, open ports, and exposed services. This wasn’t just about poking around, it was about understanding the shape of the internet, finding forgotten systems, and sometimes discovering massive vulnerabilities. Whether from a modem, a car, or a data center, the spirit remains the same: explore, map, learn.

#Wardialing #Wardriving #InternetMapping #NetworkExploration #HackerHistory

In 2003, an attacker breached a public-facing server and attempted to slip a subtle backdoor into the Linux kernel’s source code. The exploit was deviously simple, a small modification that would grant root access under specific conditions, making it nearly invisible to casual review. However, the Linux development process requires cryptographic signatures and meticulous code auditing. When a routine integrity check flagged an unexpected change, developers quickly investigated and discovered the malicious code before it could ever make it into an official release. This incident became a defining moment in Linux security, proving that while open source code is accessible, its real strength lies in the transparency and scrutiny of its community.

#LinuxSecurity #KernelHacking #OpenSourceMatters #HackerHistory

This #HackerHistory episode is a big different than the usual history, but no less fascinating. We talk to Thug Shells, a freestyle rapper, about hacking the english language

Thuggy will be showing off her talent at @CypherCon in a few weeks, it sounds like it's going to be incredible

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-thug-shells/

Josef Carl Engressia Jr., aka: Whistler, later known as Joybubbles, was a blind phone phreaker with the extraordinary gift of absolute pitch. He could whistle a perfect 2600 Hz tone, the exact frequency needed to manipulate AT&T’s phone system. Without using any devices, he could seize control of long-distance calls just by whistling into the handset.

In 1971, Engressia became the first phreaker to face legal consequences when he was arrested and fined twenty-five dollars for phone fraud. Despite this, he remained a legendary figure in phreaking culture. Later in life, he legally changed his name to Joybubbles.

#Phreaking #2600Hz #Joybubbles #PhoneHacking #HackerHistory

Hack_Curio is your go-to for all things hacker culture! Check out “What’s in a Name?”—an article exploring hacker aliases & why the L0pht testified before the U.S. Senate under ours. #hackerhistory @L0pht https://hackcur.io/whats-in-a-name/

You're gonna need to buckleup for this @CypherCon #HackerHistory episode with @andreasdotorg

The story starts with East German hacker groups, then East and West German hacker groups, CCC, and more. It's an amazing and emotional story everyone should give a listen

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-ela/

This episode of the @CypherCon #HackerHistory podcast we talk to @mlbiam about his journey. We hear about some old school games, and a lot about the early days of authentication. It's a great story and a wild ride!

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-marc-boorshtein/

Interesting new series coming out. Reminds me of @joshbressers #HackerHistory Podcast. Difference being the format and who all gets interviewed.
Learning from history is always important.
#Cybersecurity #infosec

https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-careers/where-warlocks-stay-up-late-unearthing-the-stories-of-cybersecurity-trailblazers

The first @CypherCon #HackerHistory of 2025 is out!

We talk to @CyberpunkLibrarian about his awesome journey and learn a lot about libraries (the most cyberpunk of institutions)

It's such a fun conversation with some great advice about supporting libraries at the end

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-cyberpunk-librarian/

When I talk to people for #HackerHistory and ask the question “tell me your hacker story” they immediately start talking about their childhood

It could be they were born hackers, but I think it’s more likely every kid is a hacker. Some of us just never grew up

DM me if you want to tell your story

A new @CypherCon #HackerHistory just dropped in time for Christmas!

Appropriately it's @j0hnnyxm4s

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-johnny-xmas/

THE REAL, REAL MOBMAN JUST CAME OUT. MY BRAIN IS IN RECOVERY MODE FROM THE SHOCK.

#hacking #sub7 #subseven #HackerDrama #MindBlown #HackerHistory

🌐🔍 Intriguing start to historical mapping of hacker groups!

🕵️‍♂️🗺️ Exploring their origins and global influence. Dive into the details around the fringes and across the world. Stay tuned!

#CyberSecurity #HackerHistory #DigitalWorld
https://fed.dyne.org/post/239185

A new @CypherCon #HackerHistory just dropped!

This time we have the legendary @TheGibson

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-the-gibson/

Another @CypherCon #HackerHistory

This time we talk to Wade Wells, a BSides San Diego board member about his amazing journey

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-wade-wells/

A new @CypherCon #HackerHistory dropped today!

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-dana-morrison/

We talk to Dana Morrison about some old school BBS things, but most interestingly, Dana was a school IT administrator which is about as wild as one would expect

My favorite story from this episode is about data going slower uphill :)

@thisisskaly So many! #AppleHistory #AppleMacintosh #AppleNewton #NewtonScript #DigitalArchaeolgy #DigitalAchiving #LandRover #SeriesLandRover #Overlanding #Camping #Canoeing #CrossCountrySkiing #WoodenSkis #ComputerHistory #BSD #shellscript #X11 #InternetHistory #SelfHosting #HTML #CSS #Typogrophy #SiberianHusky #AlaskanMalamute #TamaskanDog #Trees #WoodworkingHandTools #JapaneseJoinery #Typography #Grammar #HackerCulture #HackerHistory #MacGyver ...make me stop!

This @CypherCon #HackerHistory we talk to @hdm about his amazing journey

We of course cover #Metasploit, and IRC shenanigans, and some very old computers

It's a great conversation!

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-hd-moore/

A new @CypherCon #HackerHistory just released!

This time we talk to @paulasadoorian about his fantastic story. It's a great episode with a ton of fun stories!

https://hackerhistory.com/podcast/the-history-of-paul-asadoorian/

Today I finished listening to the entire back catalogue of @joshbressers ' excellent "Hacker History" podcast - https://hackerhistory.com/ in which Josh skillfully dismisses his guests' attempts to disclaim their hacker status and tell their consistently fascinating stories.
Naturally it's especially interesting to me how often I share similar experiences with these guests, which goes some way to explain my rise to InfoSec Legend™. Either that or we're just old.

This podcast is quite different from his "Open Source Security" podcast - https://opensourcesecurity.io/ - with @kurtseifried in which they play a cantankerous couple of grizzled professionals with opinions on Information Security and (mostly) related topics which occasionally align.

Both are strongly recommended.

#HackerHistory #OpenSourceSecurity #InfoSec #Podcast