“Someone who under takes a ransomware attack isn’t a hacker, they’re an attacker”

If you’ve ever attended an infosec or cybersecurity event, you will no doubt have noticed the preponderance of “Hacking is NOT a Crime” stickers. In 2018, some 500 such stickers were handed out at the DEF CON 26 event, the following year 5,000 were distributed. Who knows how many real and virtual stickers will be handed out at this year’s event, which is going hybrid due to Covid.

Yes, you did read that right: Hacking is NOT a Crime (hackingisnotacrime.org) isn’t just a sticker or meme, it’s a non-profit organisation on a mission to advocate global policy reform to both recognise and protect hacker rights. And yes, you did read that right as well.

If you’re thinking, “why should any organisation be arguing that people behind ransomware, data breaches and cybercrime are deserving of safeguarding” then, sorry, but you’re part of the problem. You have been conned by the cultural references, misled by the media narrative (, by the way) and, therefore, only see hackers through the lens of a negative stereotype. This isn’t just a sticker-selling exercise –