"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."
So spoke the main character in the cult classic V for Vendetta. Much like the movie’s main character V, today’s new breed of activists (or hacktivists) have found that anarchy is in fact the most effective solution or response to dystopia. Unlike the lone V, however, hacktivists act on their anti-establishment sentiments in large numbers.
It would first be proper, as in any story, to acquaint one’s self with the jargon and the characters involved. For the vast majority of people like me who are computer illiterate (those who still wonder if a troll is a creature from Middle-Earth and trolling is in fact the act of hunting these creatures) this is non-negotiable.
As hacktivism is actually a portmanteau of sorts, let’s start with its root word - hacking. To hack means to break into computer systems, potentially giving access to sensitive data. These data may include customer information and internal emails. An example would be a hack into Sony's systems which resulted in the theft of personal data of millions of online video-game users. As a result, Sony shut its popular PlayStation online network for nearly a month, and has estimated the attack cost it about $171 million.
To be continued…
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