A 95% drop in Hactivist attacks since 2015 is explained by Cimpanu as mostly due to the decline of the Anonymous hacker collective, described as:
But nothing has led to the group’s demise more than the inefficiency of most of its attacks. Defacing websites and launching DDoS attacks rarely gets anything done.
Neither does stealing data from websites that are completely unrelated to a specific topic. In many cases, Anonymous hackers ended up dumping personal user information into the public domain and hurting innocent people for ridiculous causes, attracting both scorn and ridicule.
Most hacking attacks don’t have the impact of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile at a BP Oil shareholders meeting. Granted but that’s hardly a criteria for hacking success.
Cimpanu’s “hurting innocent people for ridiculous causes” captures his allegiance to oppressive status quo systems better than any invective from me. Would dumping the personal information of DoD employees qualify? Or DoD employees with their deployments overseas, matching them up with locations for anyone looking for likely suspects in war crimes? There are parts of the world where that would be a very popular database.
Cybersecurity degrades with every hire and new 0days appear on a regular basis. Now should be a golden age of hacktivism, save for next year, which will be even better.
Don’t be discouraged by law enforcement puffery about stopping hackers. If they are that good, why are children being sold for sex through the Atlanta airport? Or drugs pouring across the border in large cargo trucks? Or banks being robbed for that matter. Don’t they know where all the banks are located?
I’m hopeful the headlines next year will declare hacktivism is on the rise, don’t you?