Abstract
Hacktivism is a relatively new phenomenon which originated in the 1980s from the meeting of hackers’ communities and technological-enthusiast activists. It grew in popularity in the late 1990s, becoming particularly famous with the advent of the collective Anonymous. The word hacktivism is a combination of the terms “hacking” and “activism” and is generally described as the use of hacking techniques to promote a political agenda on the Internet. Using a critical approach and following a historical perspective, this chapter analyzes the intricate conceptualization of hacktivism, exploring the different existing definitions and taxonomies. The chapter will then focus on the organizational aspects of hacktivists’ groups and the techniques used to promote their ideologies. Last, it will provide an overview of the historical evolution of hacktivism, concentrating on the most important actors and operations from the origins of the phenomenon to present days.
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Romagna, M. (2019). Hacktivism: Conceptualization, Techniques, and Historical View. In: The Palgrave Handbook of International Cybercrime and Cyberdeviance. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90307-1_34-1
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