A cypherpunk is any activist advocating widespread use of strong cryptography as a route to social and political change. Originally communicating through the Cypherpunks electronic mailing list, informal groups aimed to achieve privacy and security through proactive use of cryptography. Cypherpunks have been engaged in an active movement since the late 1980s. Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a future setting, noted for its focus on "high tech and low life". It features advanced science, such as information technology and cybernetics, coupled with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.
