Week 2 - What are the notable hacktivist groups?


 Hacktivism:  a label associated with movement of people that use their hacking/cracking know-how to carry out their personal view of justice.

Purpose: The purpose of this blog is to identify who fits within the hacktivist label, and how do they affect professional/personal internet interactions?

Today's Topic: Identify some of the more notable groups out there in the media, set them as the standard class of hacktivists.

 The very first and most popular hacktivist is undoubtedly MAFIABOY a.k.a. Michael Cacle. Michael has been deemed the inventor of denial of service attacks and was credited/arrested for the take down of massive websites like Amazon, Yahoo, Dell, etc all while he was just 15 years old! While he wasn't out to make money or publish a political scandal, he did break the law and teach our hacktivists today how to wreak havoc!

Anonymous is a very popular group and has a very unique view. They oppose governments, organizations, and public figures that neglect human rights for all sorts of reasons. They believe that they represent all people and wear their masks to not only hide their identity, but to tell everyone who is watching that Anonymous is everywhere and anyone. They mean that on the creepy level as well as extending the invite to everyone. This group is not a strict college Greek organization, but one that extends to all people. Check out the wiki below for more demonstrations and "protests."

Final Note
It is important to note, that there is a certain level of admiration for all of their work. In several parts of the world, we were raised with stories that the government was out to get us and we are very lucky to have those who stand up and fight them. However, that doesn't mean that these groups weren't breaking the law. Illegally accessing government websites gives them access to steal information and sell it. It gives them the unhindered power to alter government websites and databases.




Articles to check out:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29#Million_Mask_March

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/02/07/384567322/meet-mafiaboy-the-bratty-kid-who-took-down-the-internet





Future Items of Interest:
-Is hacktivism a good thing?
-Is hacktivism legal?
-What are the repercussions of being a hacktivist?
-What seem to be the most common exploits or attacks hackers and hacktivists use?
-How do hacktivists choose their target? When they choose a target what is the typical information targeted?