The difference between a cyber activist and a cyber hacktivist is degrees, and sometimes the lines are very thin. An activist expresses his or her views maybe using social media and stays within the confines of the law. The hacktivist on the other hand has another agenda which might include illegal activity such as infiltrating systems, exposing data, and releasing this data onto the Internet for all to see.
Some hacktivist groups have multiple members but others may not even be a group. The hacktivist activities of Anonymous are more of an amorphous idea than a structured group with a leader. Anonymous is said to have started in 2004 with people who were using “4chan” a communication forum that allowed its users to post anonymously and actually encouraged that practice. Originally the group was about Internet reveals and sharing information. Anonymous is not so much a group as it is an idea and this idea is setup in such a way that there are no real leaders of the movement. This makes it harder to track. The Guy Fawkes mask from V for Vendetta started showing up for Anonymous members at physical protests. Anonymous has crowdsourcing and flash mob type activities encouraging members to show up protesting various things across the world. There are Anonymous support groups on common social media sites, not including in other more cryptic places on the Internet like the Dark Web.
So myself I am not going to take sides on Anonymous. Many people are not actually aware of them or might actually be afraid of them. I know that I have seen the regular broadcast news try to frame Anonymous in a way on news programs but still they remain an unstructured idea that can take off like wildfire.
Some operations that Anonymous have done are to support their ideas and attack those who are doing harm like terrorists, or even political candidates. If one of these groups expresses an idea that is harmful to people, then Anonymous might speak up and take action. They have hit Scientology in some of their earliest attacks. Since then these attacks have matured and use more sophisticated forms of technology not just faxing, online attacks and prank phone calls. Anonymous has a rich history. Just check out YouTube, there are available Anonymous videos that relay what they stand for and allow Anonymous members to communicate with each other “above ground” in addition to other ways they may communicate in more secure or illicit channels.
Now there are other groups than Anonymous. Some of these groups have interesting names and do operations that support their beliefs. Some are patriotic hackers who attack those that attack their country of origin or cause harm to people. The Occupy Wall Street movement where Wall Street and Main Street clashed in protest in New York City was another opportunity for activists and hacktivists to come out and support the “everyday person” who had been harmed potentially by the Wall Street led financial crash and predatory lending of big banks that encouraged people to take out mortgages they could not afford and in some cases bankrupt people and led to a stock market meltdown where millions were lost including jobs, pensions, retirement plans, and people’s livelihood.
As the writer of the grydscaen series which deals with the Packrat hackers and their fight against the government of the Pacific Territories in the stories, there are parallels to hacker group activities, exploits, subversive actions, activists, hackers rights, social engineering, cyber warfare, open source code and corporations trying to protect themselves through cyber security. The Packrats have a leader in Faid but their organization stretches around the world in the grydscaen universe. Others like Acolyte run smaller groups that run autonomously but still have a responsibility to Faid even if they don’t “follow” him. This amorphous structure, not really a hierarchy makes it possible for the Packrats in Shion and the United Municipalities to protect themselves and defend their territory, while the Packrats in the Jannassee Islands work with the royal family and the government, and the Packrats in the Sprawl continuously attack the Elite government and the Corporation. Their very nature and separation make them powerful.
Not all hackers are “bad.” This is a misconception. Some are cyber security professionals who work to harden systems, some are just curious, others may be activists. What defines a “hacker” could be different for you, than for me, or for Sally and Joe on the corner. The digital age is upon us and has been for a while. Technology is advancing day to day and we need to be tech savvy to keep up with it. Some people are afraid of it. School programs are now trying to teach children to code. We are in the digital age and digital deflection is the name of the game when it comes to the world of hacktivists in cyberspace. Like the grydscaen tag line says, “The hackers or the government, whose side are you on?”
Facebook, YouTube, Wall Street, V for Vendetta and Scientology are copyright their perspective owners.
