What Is HACK? Amplify Cybersecurity ETF

HACK is the Amplify Cybersecurity ETF, and it holds the distinction of being the first cybersecurity ETF ever launched, arriving in November 2014. It tracks the Prime Cyber Defense Index, a basket of companies that make money from cyber-security hardware, software, and services.

The fund gives investors a single-ticket way to own the cyber-defense theme, spanning network security, endpoint protection, cloud security, and identity. It is issued by Amplify ETFs, which took over the fund from its original sponsor ETFMG, and carries a 0.60% expense ratio.

Approximate weights as of mid-2026; refresh quarterly from Amplify ETFs's fund page. Each ticker links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.

HACK holds around two dozen cybersecurity companies. Top positions include Broadcom, Cisco, Cloudflare, Palo Alto Networks, and CrowdStrike, alongside pure-play security firms such as Zscaler, Fortinet, and Check Point Software.

The roster blends large networking and infrastructure vendors that have security divisions with smaller, faster-growing specialists. That mix covers the full cyber-defense stack but also means some weight sits in diversified tech giants rather than pure security plays.

HACK competes most directly with CIBR, the First Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF, and BUG, the Global X Cybersecurity ETF. All three target the same theme and share many of the same top holdings, so their returns tend to move together.

The differences come down to index methodology, weighting, breadth, and fee. HACK is the original and holds a relatively concentrated roster; CIBR is larger; BUG uses its own selection rules. Investors typically compare the exact holdings and weights before choosing among them.

HACK's performance is driven by the growth of the cybersecurity industry and the valuations of its holdings, which are largely high-growth technology companies. It can rally sharply when security spending accelerates or after major breaches raise demand, and it can fall hard in tech selloffs.

The long-term outlook rests on the secular trend of rising cyber threats and enterprise security budgets. That said, the fund is concentrated and its holdings often trade at premium valuations, so it tends to be more volatile than the broad market.

HACK may fit investors who want targeted exposure to the cybersecurity theme as a growth-oriented satellite position and can tolerate the volatility of a concentrated tech fund. It pays almost no dividend, so it is aimed at capital appreciation rather than income.

Walnut is not an investment adviser, and this is not a recommendation. Consider your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance, review the holdings and the 0.60% fee, and decide how HACK fits your overall plan, ideally with a licensed professional if you need personalized advice.

HACK trades like any stock on brokerages such as Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, and Public. Search the ticker HACK, choose a share count or, where supported, a dollar amount for fractional investing, and place the order during market hours.

You can also connect your broker to Walnut to track HACK inside a cybersecurity-themed basket, monitor how it moves alongside your other holdings, and see how its exposure fits your overall targets.

ETFs are passive bundles; thematic baskets in Walnut let you concentrate within them. If you hold HACK as a core position, these are the themes you might layer on as satellites.

HACK is the original cybersecurity ETF, giving one-ticket exposure to firewall, endpoint, and cloud-security leaders. At 0.60% it is pricier than a broad tech fund and pays almost no dividend, so it is a growth-oriented thematic satellite. It competes closely with CIBR and BUG; the choice often comes down to holdings and weighting.

Whether HACK is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is HACK a buy?

HACK yields ~0.1% as of mid-2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see HACK dividend: yield and schedule.