Hacktivism, defined as the actions of criminal groups in cyberspace aimed at promoting socio-political agendas or spreading misinformation, has become an increasingly worrying phenomenon worldwide. In its most benign form, it can manifest as “digital vandalism”, disrupting the functions of states. However, in extreme cases, it can lead to data leaks, asset seizures, and the systematic tarnishing of an organization’s reputation, warn cybersecurity experts.<\/p>\n
The boundaries between state-sponsored cyber operations and traditional hacktivism are blurring. Organizations worldwide will have to brace themselves for a diverse range of cyber threats, each with its unique motives and tactics.<\/p>\n
In recent times, hacktivism has mirrored real-world conflicts, as evidenced by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the war between Hamas and Israel. Although the impacts of cyber-attacks and hacktivism may be less visible during the peak of wartime actions, the number of incidents has escalated as the digital and physical worlds collide.<\/p>\n
“Government agencies, due to opposing views and influence in bringing about change, and multinational corporations perceived as ‘evil’ or having a negative societal or environmental impact, are the most frequent targets of hacktivist groups,” says Wojciech G\u0142a\u017cewski, Country Manager of Check Point Software in Poland. Today, it’s challenging to utter the word “hacktivist” without thinking of Anonymous \u2013 the group responsible for waves of peaceful digital protests, typically in the form of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, aiming to present their version of truth and justice to the world.<\/p>\n
While the Anonymous group may have popularized the term hacktivism, the actual threat it poses to businesses and government agencies goes much deeper. As detailed in Check Point’s bi-annual cybersecurity report for 2023, the average number of weekly cyber attacks worldwide has risen by 8%, marking the most significant increase in two years. These attacks are largely driven by artificial intelligence, the looming threat from organized ransomware groups, and hacktivism.<\/p>\n
“Last year witnessed the emergence of ‘state-sponsored hacktivism’, where hacktivist groups select their targets based on geopolitical agendas, and in some instances, are funded or organized by governments themselves,” observes a Check Point expert. For instance, the Russia-affiliated “Killnet” group targeted Western healthcare organizations in early 2023, orchestrating a series of DDoS attacks in response to Western support for Ukraine. Another example is “Anonymous Sudan”, which emerged in January 2023, targeting companies like Scandinavian airlines and other Western organizations. They claim to conduct counter-offensive operations, targeting Western entities in retaliation for alleged anti-Muslim actions. Microsoft became one of the group’s latest targets, causing severe disruptions to the Outlook email service and the Azure hosting platform.<\/p>\n