According to the Wired Style Guide, a "Radical geek or online denizen who is pro-privacy and pro-cryptography (and often supports libertarianism and anarcho-capitalism)." John Gilmore, one of the earliest self-proclaimed cypherpunks, calls them "An informal group dedicated to public education and dissemination of encryption (also known as cryptography, the science and art of secret writing)." The definitive article on cypherpunks, although now dated, is probably Steven Levy's piece story in the second issue of Wired magazine.

The cypherpunks (a portmanteau of cipher and punk based on cyberpunk) comprise an informal group of people interested in privacy and cryptography who originally communicated through the cypherpunks mailing list. The aim of the group was to achieve privacy and security through proactive use of cryptography. Events such as the GURPS Cyberpunk raid lent weight to the idea that private individuals needed to take steps themselves to protect their privacy.