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21st Century Hacktivist

The word "hacking was first originated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology back in the 1960s by the Model Railroad Club. The term hack was not created for computers but rather to hack mechanical train sets to alter the functions of the set. As the years continue to pass, hacking became associated with computer devices. One of the first major hacks was conducted by John Draper in 1971 by breaching the telephone system to make free phone calls. Hacking has advanced over the years and there are a variety of reasons why it has advanced.

A 21^st-century hacktivist motive is more of a protest to deliver messages of their beliefs behind social problems. Hacking is not all about financial gain are breaching computer systems for gratification. Although hacktivists share some of the same methods as other hackers. Hacktivists' goals are to be heard by other individuals using technology devices. Hacktivists try their best to remain anonymous to avoid being exposed to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. A hacktivist can land an attack on any group of people are agencies that exist in the world through the use of computer technology.

Hacking has changed with technology in the 21st century. Hacktivist has become more advance at locating breaches in computer systems to land their attacks against whoever they desire. Not all hacktivists are bad, but some do have malicious intent to access sensitive information (Putman, 2021). The majority of hacktivist motives are to inform and share beliefs, ideas, and principles of information they believe into other individuals, corporations, and government agencies. The 21st-century hacktivist has brought about a major revolutionary on social justice in the United States by hacking government systems to protest social reform.

The 21st-century hacktivist is involved in political attacks against a corporation, religion, businesses, and government. A hacktivist remains anonymous and well recognized for meddling in government attacks, corporations' attacks, and personal attacks. The United States political crisis that has become a problem in the 21^st century has made the country vulnerable to foreign cyberattacks. The United States is also vulnerable to hacktivist landing attacks in its own country. The 21^st-century hacktivist is fighting for political change and freedom.

Some 21^st-century technology tools that are used by hacktivists to launch attacks on computer systems are doxing, denial of service, and defacement. Hacktivists use the tool doxing to launch an attack on their person of interest by exposing the personal information of that person that will affect that person's life. Hacktivists use denial of service to expose their concerns through the use of electronics to the public to gain attraction in their protest. Hacktivist also uses a technical tool called defacement which has been around in the 19^th century and is still in use in the 21^st century. Defacement attacks social websites and interferes with elections. This type of technical tool affects political candidates' by sending transitive messages to the public to change the people's decisions in selecting candidates. The technical tools used by hacktivists in the 21^st century to launch an attack in cyberspace are well effective towards cyber hacking.

In the 21^st century, cybersecurity personnel does not only recognize hacktivism as a cybersecurity concern but also recognize hacktivism for being a security concern for public relations (Rashid, 2012). Hacktivist expresses their concerns a rather more rapidly in the 21^st century following the political change in government and social justice. Most hacktivists are young adults who age ranges from 14-22 years of age (Rashid, 2012). Hacktivists are lethal small groups of people that can cause major damage to a democracy technology and cripple the infrastructure. Hacktivist groups' motivation in the 21^st century is political change and social change in the American democracy.

Hacktivist groups remain anonymous in cyberspace when carrying out attacks. In 2008, an anonymous name came after the anonymity which was created by the internet (Putman, 2021). The 21^st-century hacktivist still has some groups involved in malicious intent. The economy has brought about a change in which hacktivist has protest by hacking the computer systems to influence campaigns and exposing negative campaign leaders to the public. Hacktivist is known for what they do best and that is to spread an ideology (Putman, 2021).

Hacking has changed over the years. Hacking has multiple categories besides financial fraud is data theft. Hacking has new methods in seeking to overturn political and social change within a nation. Hacking plays a part in almost every event that is made public to the people. Hacktivists will do anything in their good power to spread ideology, and that includes stealing money if they have to carry out their attacks. Hacktivist technology use is no different from what other hackers use to breach computer systems.

Some of these hacktivists employed the same methods as regular hackers to breach computer systems. Hacktivists can affect everyone causing an embarrassment and could be dangerous to an institution and innocent people (Vamosi, 2011). The 21^st-century hacktivist has become more advance with technology. IT security companies have to keep up to win the fight against hacktivism. Hacktivists of the 21^st century are involved in protest instead of stealing and just hacking for fun.

Reference:

Hassen, A. (2013). Hacktivist Revolutionary Jeremy Hammond Becomes 21^st Century Political Prisoner. Guild Notes, 38(4), 16.

McCortnick, T. (2013). HACKTIVISM. Foreign Policy, 200, 24-25.

Putman, P. (2021). What is a Hacktivist? Cybersecurity Magazine. Baltimore, MD. American Publishing, LLC.

Rashid, F.Y. (2012). Hacktivist: A Potential Talent Pool for Organizations. EWeek, 2.

Vamosi, R. (2011). How Hacktivism Affects Us All. PC World, 29(11), 37-38.