Hacktivism: Methods, Motivations, and Impact

Questions and Answers

What is the primary goal of hacktivists?

To expose corporate or government wrongdoing

What is the term for overwhelming a website or system with traffic?

Denial-of-service (DoS) attack

Which of the following is NOT a method used by hacktivists?

Hacking into personal email accounts

What is the name of the decentralized collective known for high-profile attacks and protests?

Anonymous Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary ethical concern surrounding hacktivism?

Using illegal activities to achieve goals Signup and view all the answers

What is the potential outcome of hacktivism?

Both drawing attention to important issues and causing harm to innocent parties or systems Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of a network infrastructure penetration test in cybersecurity?

Evaluating the security of network devices and infrastructure Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of bug bounty programs used by companies?

To identify vulnerabilities and reward responsible disclosure Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of a comprehensive guide for web application testing?

Web application security testing Signup and view all the answers

What tool is useful when performing a network infrastructure penetration test?

Nmap Signup and view all the answers

What U.S. government regulation must a contractor understand before performing cybersecurity vulnerability assessments for a local health clinic facility?

HIPAA Signup and view all the answers

What is a key element an employee must have before conducting penetration tests for compliance in several financial institutions in Europe?

Compliance with EU's GDPR Signup and view all the answers

When a vulnerability is identified, what is the next step?

Verify the vulnerability to determine its impact Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)?

To score the severity of a vulnerability Signup and view all the answers

What type of attack involves redirecting users to a malicious website?

DNS poisoning attack Signup and view all the answers

What is the Browser Exploitation Framework (BeEF) used for?

To exploit vulnerabilities in web browsers Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a DNS resolver cache?

To speed up DNS lookups Signup and view all the answers

What is an on-path attack also known as?

Man-in-the-middle attack Signup and view all the answers

Which legal document specifies the expectations and constraints, including quality of work, timelines, and cost, for a cybersecurity professional?

Statement of Work Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in the context of penetration testing?

To protect sensitive client information Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of Rules of Engagement (ROE) in penetration testing?

To define the scope and boundaries of the test Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of WHOIS in internet governance?

To track IP address ownership Signup and view all the answers

Why would a penetration tester perform a passive reconnaissance scan instead of an active one?

To avoid detection by the target's security team Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of host enumeration when beginning a penetration test?

To identify open ports and services Signup and view all the answers

Which legal document should be provided to the cybersecurity professional that specifies the expectations and constraints?

Statement of Work (SOW) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in the context of penetration testing?

Protect sensitive information Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of WHOIS in internet governance?

Manage domain name registrations Signup and view all the answers

Why would a penetration tester perform a passive reconnaissance scan instead of an active one?

To avoid detection Signup and view all the answers

What tool could be used to gather DNS information passively?

Passive DNS Signup and view all the answers

What type of server is a penetration tester enumerating when they enter the nmap -sU command?

UDP server Signup and view all the answers

What is the disadvantage of conducting an unauthenticated scan of a target when performing a penetration test?

It may not reveal all vulnerabilities Signup and view all the answers

In which circumstance would a penetration tester perform an unauthenticated scan of a target?

When the test is being conducted as a black-box test Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of verifying a vulnerability after a penetration test?

To prove the existence of the vulnerability Signup and view all the answers

Which system is used to uniquely identify vulnerabilities?

CVE Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of a watering hole attack?

To compromise a specific group of users by exploiting a vulnerability in a website they frequently visit Signup and view all the answers

Why would a threat actor use the Social-Engineering Toolkit (SET)?

To compromise a network through social engineering Signup and view all the answers

What type of attack involves altering a host file to redirect users to a malicious website?

DNS poisoning attack Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the Browser Exploitation Framework (BeEF)?

To exploit vulnerabilities in web browsers Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a DNS poisoning attack?

Redirecting users to a malicious website Signup and view all the answers

What is a pass-the-hash attack?

An attack that uses stolen password hashes to gain access to a system Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of OpenVAS?

To identify vulnerabilities in a network Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes threat actors in cybersecurity?

Malicious entities that exploit vulnerabilities for personal gain Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of a network infrastructure penetration test in cybersecurity?

Evaluating the security of a network infrastructure Signup and view all the answers

What is a key element an employee must have before starting a penetration test assignment for several financial institutions in Europe?

A certification in penetration testing and compliance Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of bug bounty programs used by companies?

To pay individuals for identifying and reporting vulnerabilities Signup and view all the answers

Which U.S. government regulation must an Internal Revenue Service office in New York follow when moving some services to a cloud computing platform?

FedRAMP Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of an ethical hacker?

Conducting penetration tests to identify weaknesses Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of a known environment penetration test?

It is a test conducted in a controlled environment Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of hacktivists?

To raise awareness about social and political issues Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of a hacktivist?

To create a sense of social justice or to draw attention to a political/social cause Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of an ethical hacker?

They are security experts who help organizations improve their cybersecurity Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of a threat actor in cybersecurity?

To exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain or malicious purposes Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a network infrastructure penetration test?

To identify vulnerabilities in network devices and infrastructure Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of bug bounty programs used by companies?

To identify vulnerabilities and report them to the organization Signup and view all the answers

What U.S. government regulation must a contractor understand before performing cybersecurity vulnerability assessments for a local health clinic facility?

HIPAA Signup and view all the answers

Which U.S. government regulation must an Internal Revenue Service office in New York follow when moving some services to a cloud computing platform?

FISMA Signup and view all the answers

Which legal document specifies the expectations and constraints, including quality of work, timelines, and cost, for a cybersecurity professional?

Statement of Work Signup and view all the answers

What is a key element an employee must have before conducting penetration tests for compliance in several financial institutions in Europe?

Permission from the institutions' management Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of Rules of Engagement (ROE) in penetration testing?

To define the scope of the test Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of host enumeration when beginning a penetration test?

To identify hosts on the network Signup and view all the answers

Why would a penetration tester perform a passive reconnaissance scan instead of an active one?

To evade detection Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

To protect personal data Signup and view all the answers

What tool could be used to gather DNS information passively?

PassiveDNS Signup and view all the answers

In which circumstance would a penetration tester perform an unauthenticated scan of a target?

When the target is unknown Signup and view all the answers

What is the disadvantage of conducting an unauthenticated scan of a target when performing a penetration test?

It may not provide accurate results Signup and view all the answers

What type of attack involves altering a host file to redirect users to a malicious website?

Host file redirection attack Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)?

To score the severity of vulnerabilities Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of verifying a vulnerability after a penetration test?

To prove the existence of the vulnerability Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a DNS poisoning attack?

Redirecting users to a malicious website Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of OpenVAS?

To identify vulnerabilities Signup and view all the answers

What is an on-path attack also known as?

Man-in-the-middle attack Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of a watering hole attack?

To redirect users to a malicious website Signup and view all the answers

Why would a threat actor use the Social-Engineering Toolkit (SET)?

To launch a phishing attack Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a DNS resolver cache?

To speed up DNS resolution Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Definition and Characteristics

Hacktivists: individuals who use hacking and cyber-attack techniques to promote a political or social agenda
Blend of hacking and activism, often involving illegal or unauthorized access to computer systems
May use tactics such as website defacement, data breaches, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks

Motivations and Goals

Hacktivists often aim to:
- Expose corporate or government wrongdoing
- Bring attention to social or political issues
- Disrupt or embarrass opponents
- Support or promote a particular cause
May target organizations, governments, or individuals seen as opposing their values or goals

Examples of Hacktivist Groups

Anonymous: a decentralized collective known for high-profile attacks and protests
LulzSec: a former group known for hacking and exposing sensitive information
WikiLeaks: a organization that publishes classified and sensitive information

Methods and Tactics

Website defacement: altering a website's content to display a message or symbol
Data breaches: unauthorized access to sensitive information
Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks: overwhelming a website or system with traffic
Phishing: using social engineering to obtain sensitive information
DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks: coordinated attacks from multiple sources

Ethical and Legal Considerations

Hacktivism often involves illegal activities, raising ethical and legal questions
May be seen as a form of civil disobedience or vandalism, depending on the context
Governments and organizations may view hacktivists as a threat to national security or integrity

Impact and Effectiveness

Hacktivism can:
- Draw attention to important issues and spark public debate
- Embarrass or disrupt opponents
- Reveal sensitive information or wrongdoing
However, hacktivism can also:
- Cause harm to innocent parties or systems
- Be used as a form of revenge or vandalism
- Undermine trust in institutions and online systems

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Description

Explore the world of hacktivism, including its definition, motivations, and goals. Learn about the methods and tactics used by hacktivists, as well as the ethical and legal considerations surrounding this phenomenon. Understand the impact and effectiveness of hacktivism in promoting social and political change.