The SCA had the honour of welcoming Professor Fabrice Epelboin for a Masterclass exploring the what, who, how, and why of hacking. Professor Epelboin usually teaches on “Digital Humanities”, the Surveillance State, Hacker Culture, Astroturfing, Information Warfare, and Crypto-economy.
He presented the key motives for hackers beyond simply for fun, focusing on malicious hacking for financial gain, and detailed the ways in which hackers can monetise their misdeeds and the many factors keeping the hacking economy afloat. He also discussed major topics such as hacktivism, astroturfing, anonymous, infowar, and the Arab Spring.