Week 4 - Is hacktivism a good thing?


 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: Do I think that hacktivism is a good thing?

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is a great way to assess today's question. Hacktivism is bad, due to the means in which the movement is carried out. By definition, the hacktivist is vying to overcome a system that they are not permitted to access. The way in which they gain access itself is typically considered illegal. Then the actions they perform afterwards is also usually highly illegal. For instance, corrupting file systems and destroying intellectual or private property is the next level of virtual vandalism. Or in another example, stealing information and then distributing it regardless of its classification is also bad. But the question is whether or not this is a good thing.

This boils down to the intention of the hooded figure behind the screen and the opinion of the target audience. From the perspective of the victim, their secrets or information was just improperly disclosed. Perhaps they were trying to fix a problem or cover up a mistake. To them, it was solely their right to handle their information, not the hacktivist's. However, the target audience may have wanted this information to prove someone else's innocence. Perhaps to see the true colors of a political candidate .For them, this information is something that should have been public because it assists their goals.



Future Items of Interest:
-What are the repercussions of being a hacktivist?
-What seem to be the most common exploits or attacks hackers and hacktivists use?