The Liberties, Ideologies, And Effects Of Hacktivism

This paper discusses the liberties, ideologies, and effects of hacktivism. Hacktivism, is the combination of hacking and activism, and is where a hacker creates a technology-centered disturbance with a political or social motive. Unlawful hackers typically cause cyber damage for amusement, or monetary gain. While traditional hackers are perceived as criminals, hacktivists are a transgressive group. Cyberterrorism is the most extreme version of hacking, where the goal is to cause permanent damage. There are benefits to hacktivism such as, anyone can log on and share their opinion, regardless of their location or position. However, some forms of hacktivism may be closer to cyberterrorism, where there may be a malicious intent. Controversy†¦show more content†¦In reality, hackers are a variety of people, with a range of reasons for what they do. Hacking began in the late seventies and early eighties out of curiosity. Quickly, people began to realize the potential for destructio n through cyber attacks. From 2008 to 2012, the hacktivist group Anonymous, became prevalent, because pretty much any amateur with a cause what kind of cause could join Anonymous.. But after several group figureheads were arrested, the general public was deterred from participating this hacktivist group. From 2012 to the present, the door opened for hacktivist specialists beyond Anonymous, to cause destruction. Hacktivism has shifted from large amounts of amateurs causing minimal damage, to small amounts of hacking specialists causing tremendous amounts of damage. Due to the fact that the Internet is largely privatized, it is very hard for hacktivists to get their point across to a large number of people without breaking the law. So, a free speech space needs to be established online to ensure that everyone has a chance to speak their mind on a â€Å"digital sidewalk.† The extreme side of hacktivism is cyberterrorism. Terrorist groups like ISIS have begun to hire specialists to wage cyberwar for their religious and political gain. The Internet battlefield has become just as important as a physical one. However, not all hackers are terrorists, criminals, or even hacktivists. Some hackers take up