In the 1980s, a group of Texas-based hackers formed the collective "The Cult of the Dead Cow" (cDc)

which became legendary for its contributions to cybersecurity. In 1998, they released the tool "Back Orifice," designed to expose vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system. Though controversial, the tool aimed to show how easily systems could be hacked, pushing companies to improve their security. cDc members also coined the term "hacktivism," blending hacking with political activism.