CHAPTER 35
GREG GET UP and asked:
— What exactly are we dealing with?
— We can call them cypherpunks — said Igor Zumerick.
— Want me to repeat the question, Father? — Greg asked in a humorous tone, which made everyone in the room laugh together, one of the rare moments of relaxation on that team.
— The term cypherpunks originated in the 1990s in the Bay Area in San Francisco , California , by a group of mathematicians , cryptanarchists, and hackers , who began meeting in their homes. The members of this closed group came to be known as cypherpunks. The original members had no social ideology, they were more concerned with the complicated mathematics of cryptographic technology and the broader philosophy of anonymity , individual freedom, and privacy .
— I believe Paul Leaks was part of that special little group.
— Not from the original group, let's say the people who were part of that group, knew Leaks and vice versa.
— Because they had common interests — ventured Greg.
— Exactly, and the internet tightens those ties even further.
He agreed.
— And isn't there a way to track that?
— This is the biggest battle of our generation, because in theory, there is a way to track, however, it is a field in which if there is a new tracking technology almost daily, then we would have to be one step ahead of them every day.
— What is impossible.
— Unfortunately, because these people earn millions of dollars breaking into bank security systems and selling practically a virtual lock, almost with a minimum expiration date, the government would have to hire people of that level, however, how to pay an average worker's salary for someone who makes millions?
— Only with someone who would have to have some kind of philosophy, that fits within the standards that the government imposes.
— Which is your case, isn't it, Mr. Evans.
He nodded.
— I can confidently say that you are one of the last romantics to care what the government does, Mr Evans.
— But I'd say I'm too old for the new generation.
— Not old, technologically outdated — said Morant, correcting him, — but we still don't have a technology more formidable than the human brain, Greg, so we've requested your government to be present in this case, you can be sure that if there was a computer in the world that had your ability, our young priest here, would certainly have used it.
He looked grateful for that.
— Back to the subject — interrupted Zumerick, — cypherpunks were fundamental in the movement to defend online privacy and anonymity, as well as pioneers on the way to the invisible spaces of the internet. They used cryptography as a way of protecting individuality, inhibiting the control of data transmitted by government, institutional or commercial agents. The term cypherpunk, derived from cypher, referring to cryptography, and punk , was coined by Jude Milhon, as a pun to describe cyberpunks who used cryptography. In November 2006 , the word was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
— They've accomplished a great feat.
He laughed.
— The Cypherpunks Manifesto was published in 1993 by Eric Hughes, a mathematician and programmer who is considered one of the founders of the movement. The ideas that underpin the movement can be found in this manifesto:
— Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not the same as secrecy. A private matter is something that one does not want the whole world to know, a secret matter is one thing that one does not want anyone to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal yourself to the world.
— So that's where this Leaks guy and Cicada come in?
— Let's say they fit these profiles.
— And how can we find out more about this Cicada 3301?
Morant smiled.
— In this room we have two people who almost walked in, and one of them who was Leaks' lover.
The two looked at Yuliya who nodded.
— It's too long a story.
— So that's why...— said Igor.
She nodded again.
— I'm sorry, but...
— How about we focus on Cicada for now — Greg proposed.
Everyone agreed.