What is Hacktivism?

Hacktivism, a blend of hacking and activism, has become a major threat in the digital landscape. Hacktivists are driven by political, religious, and social aims, they use different strategies to achieve their goals, and their primary targets include oppressive institutions or governments.

Hacktivists are known for using their technical expertise to drive change and have diverse aspirations, from free speech advocacy and protesting human rights violations to anti-censorship and religious discrimination. 

Data Leaks, Web Defacements, and DDoS Attacks

A recent report by CYFIRMA reveals that hacktivists believe themselves to be digital activists and work for the cause of justice, attacking organizations that they think should be held responsible for their malpractices. “Operation ‘Hamsaupdate’ has been active since early December 2023, where the hacktivist group Handala has been using phishing campaigns to gain access to Israel-based organizations. After breaching the systems, they deploy wipers to destroy data and cause significant disruption.” 

While few target local, regional, or national issues, other groups are involved in larger campaigns that expand to multiple nations and continents.

DDoS Attacks

A general tactic hacktivists use involves DDoS attacks. These attacks stuff websites with heavy traffic, disrupting servers and making sites inaccessible. Hacktivists employ diverse DDoS tools, ranging from botnet services and web-based IP stressors, to attack different layers of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model.

Web Defacement Attacks

Hacktivists modify the website content in Web defacement to show ideological or political agendas. The motive is to humiliate the website owners and spread the idea to a larger audience.

Hacktivists can easily deface websites by exploiting flaws like SQL injection or cross-site scripting.

Data Leaks

Hacktivists also indulge in data leaks, where they steal sensitive data and leak it publicly. This includes personal info, confidential corporate data, or government documents. The aim here is to expose corruption or wrongdoings and hold the accused responsible in the eyes of the public.

Geopolitical Motives

Hacktivist campaigns are sometimes driven by geopolitical tensions, racial conflicts, and religious battles. The hacktivists are sometimes involved in #OP operations, the CYFIRMA report mentions. 

For instance, “#OpIndia is a popular hashtag, used by hacktivist groups from countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, Morocco, and other Muslim-majority countries (as well as Sweden) that engage in DDoS attacks or deface Indian websites, and target government, individuals, or educational institutions.”