Hacking in the Humanities: Cybersecurity, Speculative Fiction, and Navigating a Digital Future

It is possible, with little controversy, to say that digital literacy is necessary to live a well-connected life in the 21st century. Because so much of our personal and professional lives are lived online, more than a passing awareness of cyber security is needed to maintain our personal safety and institutional integrity. Digital Humanities (DH) is an interdisciplinary field of study with a special focus on the digitization of the cultural legacy of humanity. The production and protection of cultural artifacts online will require research security policies and data protection activities capable of adapting to the changing political contexts on the internet. This presentation explores these issues, as well as those addressed in my recent book, Hacking in the Humanities (Bloomsbury 2022). I will describe how an activist (or perhaps hacktivist) sensibility allows for citizens to build and defend their cultural institutions. For instance, hack-a-thons are a feature of DH pedagogy and practice that is well suited to the rapid response necessary to protect digital cultural artifacts and repel misinformation with facts. After all, digital humanists are builders of labs and centres, which have become critical infrastructure in the development of durable cultural artifacts online. Digital humanists are possessed of the disciplinary breadth to understand vulnerabilities in our shared cultural and technical systems. Digital humanists can connect the complex cultural, historical, and political forces that animate attackers while mitigating risks and responding to attacks on cultural institutions. In this way, DH will play an increasing role in securing our digital futures.   

The event will take place online.

In Kooperation mit dem Dahlem Humanities Center