FROM THE FOUNDER - ek0ms savi0r
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Community Codex.
When I started Church of Malware, I never imagined what it would become. What began as a small idea a place where outcasts could learn, share research, ask questions, and explore cybersecurity without fear or gatekeeping - has grown into a thriving community of researchers, developers, reverse engineers, malware analysts, students, educators, hackers, makers, and curious minds from all walks of life.
This publication exists because of them.
Earlier this year we opened our first public Call for Papers and invited the community to submit their research, projects, experiments, and ideas. What happened next exceeded every expectation I had.
SUBMISSIONS IN
- Threat intelligence platforms.
- Machine learning research.
- Malware analysis.
- Defensive tooling.
- Open-source projects.
- Novel ideas.
- Bold ideas.
Most importantly, people shared knowledge freely with one another.
Selecting what would appear in this first issue was incredibly difficult. There was far more quality research than we could fit into a single publication. To everyone who submitted work: thank you. Your contributions helped prove that communities built around curiosity, education, and collaboration are still alive and thriving.
And this is only the beginning.
Community Codex is intended to be a quarterly publication. There will be future calls for papers, future contributors, future discoveries, and future opportunities for members of our community to share what they are building and learning.
This first issue features research and projects from:
- ANUBIS DARKWATCH
- ZAZIE PRODUCTIONS
- ASH DEHART
- TRILLTECHNICIAN
- MASTERCODEON
- THE SNEK INITIATIVE
- SUBINACLS
- INTERJECT
- PRINCESS PI
Each contributor represents a different corner of cybersecurity, yet all of them share something important: a willingness to learn, build, teach, and contribute.
That spirit is the foundation of Church of Malware.
THE SANCTUARY
Church of Malware exists as a sanctuary for that belief.
- A place where questions are welcomed.
- A place where learning is celebrated.
- A place where people can safely explore how technology works so they can better defend themselves and others.
This publication is a reflection of that mission.
PEOPLE OFTEN ASK WHY I CHOSE THAT NAME
The answer is simple.
BECAUSE MALWARE IS NOT THE ENEMY. IGNORANCE IS.
For decades we have been taught to fear the technology we depend on every day. We are told to trust black boxes. We are told to look away. We are told that understanding is dangerous.
I reject that idea completely.
- I believe people have the right to understand the systems that shape our lives.
- I believe understanding is better than fear.
- I believe defense begins with knowledge.
- I believe hacking is one of the most powerful forms of self-education ever created.
- I believe communities become stronger when knowledge is shared instead of hoarded.
TO THE COMMUNITY
To every researcher featured in these pages, thank you for trusting us with your work. To every reader holding this publication, thank you for being here.
THE SANCTUARY IS OPEN.
Welcome to Community Codex.