Hacktivism

Hacktivism refers to the use of computing acumen to advance a social or political cause, often through the application of techniques of technological infiltration and intervention. Not mere vandals, hacktivists understand their computer activity as work conducted in the public interest. Through the use of computer tools, sometimes of their own devising, hacktivists often employ their technological skill to bypass security measures and gain unauthorized access to information. They break into websites, databases, or other online systems in order to publicize a social or political point. Hacktivists may employ a variety of techniques depending upon the target and the intended message. They interrogate, interrupt, and intercept the business-as-usual mentality of the entities they target. This entry further defines hacktivism, then discusses its principal forms, examples, ...