Think of Federal employees at Fort Meade, who were hired to do the sort of work I am describing.

Think of defense contractors with nondescript offices in Fairfax who hire those same employees after they leave the government and whose employees spend their days writing and pulling and pushing and merging open-source software.

Think of $200,000 a year.

Think of Edward Snowden.

A 1000 hackers is a line item in the NSA's budget.

Or the KGB's.

Or China's.

It's asymmetric warfare. But the side without the money is disorganized and open and trusting.