Operation Payback was an example of hacktivism.
Hacktivism is the breaking into a website or computer system for social or political reasons . The term, which is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), is an acronym that is formed with the words hacker and activism .
A hacker or jacker is an individual who has extensive computer knowledge and carries out research to improve a system or report possible failures. The notion is also used to name someone who illegally accesses a foreign system to manipulate it without authorization or obtain private data. Activism , meanwhile, consists of developing public actions with proselytizing purposes or with the intention of promoting social change .
It can be said, therefore, that hacktivism is a form of militancy that uses cyber attacks in order to make a cause visible or promote change in society . Those responsible do not seek personal benefit, but collective benefit.
History of hacktivism
The origin of hacktivism is found in the 1980s . Many place it in 1984 , when the Cult of the Dead Cow organization was created. It is also noted as a precursor to the cyberpunk movement.
Jason Sack is mentioned as having coined the concept in an article he authored that he published in 1995 . However, the popularity of the notion is associated with the impact achieved by interventions by groups such as Electronic Disturbance Theater in those 90s .
Today the idea of hacktivism covers different issues. These may be complaints made by hackers evidencing business practices and policies that are harmful to the community or presentations by activists who defend net neutrality and people's digital rights .
There have been attempts to manipulate elections through cyberattacks and hacktivism actions.
Your actions
Hacktivism can be carried out through different actions. Altering the content of a website, performing a denial of service attack , or imposing a redirect are some of the possibilities.
It should be considered that cyberactivism can develop in two main ways. On the one hand, there is digital activism that appeals to programming to encourage social changes but without violating computer security.
On the other hand, there are hacktivists who carry out cyberattacks in order to achieve their objectives. These individuals maintain that it is valid to appeal to malicious actions when the victim is responsible for harm suffered by the majority of the members of a society.
In this framework, controversies arise due to some of the methods used. A DOS (Denial of Service) or a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) , which are denial of service attacks, can even be designated as an offensive against freedom of expression since they prevent Internet users from accessing a publication or using a web service.
Keep in mind that hacktivism targets companies, government offices, or other entities that the hacker or group defines as harmful or negative. However, accessing a computer system without authorization is a crime regardless of intent. The legislation does not distinguish between ethical hackers or criminals when the cybersecurity of a company or government agency is violated.
There are those who associate hacktivism with cyberterrorism.
Examples of hacktivism
The acts carried out by the Anonymous group are an example of hacktivism. The group became known in 2010 , when it revealed confidential information from governments and corporations to support the movement known as Occupy Wall Street .
Another example of hacktivism is WikiLeaks , the organization promoted by Julian Assange . It works as a means of communication, releasing classified government documents. Thus, he revealed the murder of journalists by the US army in Iraq and the torture suffered by prisoners in the Guantánamo prison, among other events. For his hacktivism, Assange experienced extensive judicial persecution and was imprisoned for several years. It is interesting to mention that, for the alleged leak of material to WikiLeaks , the American soldier Chelsea Manning was also imprisoned.
Storm-1133 , on the other hand, is a hacktivist organization that perpetrated cyberattacks against entities in Israel . This group, which reports its activities on Telegram , is believed to be linked to Hamas .
The motivations
Multiple reasons can promote hacktivism. Many times it is hacking for political purposes . In this context, there are actions that constitute a response to specific decisions of a government (such as a repressive episode, for example).
Hacktivism can also be a claim for freedom of expression on the Internet , denouncing cases of censorship and defending anonymity online. In this sense, mass control through technology and mass surveillance in general is usually rejected.
Hacktivists, likewise, often defend transparency . That is why they reveal bad corporate practices and acts of corruption in government spheres.
Another motivation for hacktivism is community awareness or awareness . From the dissemination of secret information or a call for attention about some phenomenon, it is expected that the population will become aware of reality and act accordingly.