Ethics of Hacking: Hacktivism and Its Classification - A Deep Dive

This essay delves into the ethics of hacking, specifically focusing on the classification of hacktivism within the spectrum of white, black, and gray hat hacking. The paper begins by defining different types of hacking, emphasizing that hacking involves unauthorized intrusion into computer systems or networks. It then defines hacktivism as the act of altering or misusing a network or computer system for social and political reasons, arguing that hacktivism primarily falls under black hat hacking due to its unauthorized and often illegal nature. The essay explains the distinctions between white hat (ethical and authorized), gray hat (intentions may vary), and black hat (illegal and unethical) hacking, highlighting that hacktivism, due to its unauthorized nature, is considered black hat regardless of the hacker's intentions. The discussion also touches on the use of ethical white hat hacking to identify and fix vulnerabilities, contrasting it with the malicious intent of black hat hacking. The essay concludes that hacktivism, by its very nature, is a black hat hacking process as it always happens without the consent of the network administrator or system owner.

Running Head: HACKING ETHICS
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Ethics of Hacking
Is hacktivism white, black or gray hat?
(Student Details: )
3/21/2020

HACKING ETHICS 1
Hacking: white hat, black hat, grey hat
This paper is focused on different types of hacking from the perspective of the moral and
socio-political lens. The discussion will include types of hacking include a grey hat, black
hat, and white hat hacking. In this paper, the main subtopic will be discussed as “Is
hacktivism white, black or gray hat?”. While covering different types of hacking, the
discussion will focus on identifying the type of hacktivism from the three types of hacking
include a black hat, grey hat, and white hat hacking.
In general, hacking refers to an unauthorized intrusion into any computer or network;
typically carried out by the hackers including one or more (Lucas). It has been noted that
hackers can always work single or be employed by a particular organization which is having
the motive of disrupting something. The hacking when attempted wrongly then it may cause
havoc unnecessarily (Mihai). It is because, while doing the hacking, hackers usually look for
altering security systems in order to accomplish their motives or goal (Polat). When hacking
is being done, security systems are usually modified for purposes that differ from the real
purposes of the designated system (Mihai).
In order to define hacktivism, it can be said that it refers to the act of altering as well as
misusing a network or a computer system for the reasons include social and political majorly.
It is worth knowing that people who perform these hacking acts are known as hacktivists
(Polat). As per the subtopic of this discussion, the research is depicting that hacktivism comes
under black hat hacking and it is not at all beneficial for the society (Ogochukwu).
“Is hacktivism white, black or gray hat?”, it can be better explained with the help of
definition and meaning of three types of hat hacking such as black, grey and white hat
hacking (Ogochukwu). Here, white hat hacking is always considered authorized and hence
acceptable by society. It is because white hat hackers follow the rules and never enter the
systems without the permission of the administrator. Besides, grey hat hacking may have bad
or good intentions as grey hat hackers often prioritize their perceptions of hacktivism. It
means grey hat hackers consider the hacking right or wrong as per their priorities over what
the set law might depict (Putnik and Bošković). Lastly, black hat hacking is always
considered illegal, unethical and wrong. The reason behind this is that these black hat hackers
are known as cybercriminals and they do not care about the fact that whether something is
wrong and illegal.

HACKING ETHICS 2
Hacktivism is black hat hacking, as it exploits the security flaws for political as well as
personal advantages, gains or even sometimes for fun. As per the above-mentioned
definitions of all types of hacking, it is clear that hacktivism is not done for good reasons
(Putnik and Bošković). In hacktivism, there is unauthorized access to a network or website,
which is undoubtedly illegal and hence hacktivism is blackhat irrespective of intentions of the
hacker.
In addition to that, there are so many organizations who also hire hackers for their motives or
organizational growth as the key part of the organizational staff. It has been found that such
hackers often utilise their skills for identifying the vulnerable areas, flaws, as well as weak
points in their own and competitor organization’s security system. In this way, it can be said
that ethical white hat hacking can be used to find and thereby fix the weaknesses of the
relevant organizations (Putnik and Bošković). Moreover, the black hat hacking in hacktivism
does not prevent malicious hackers from violating or breaking the security system of any
organization.
On the other hand, hacktivism has been identified as a weakness or loophole in the computer
systems or networks whereas white or authorized hacking can be used for constructive
motives. Other than hacktivism, hacking is also used to exploit its weaknesses to gain access.
For example, using predicted passwords through hacking for cracking algorithm in order to
gain access to a computer system or network, comes under hacktivism or black hat hacking
(Argomedo).
In whole, this discussion on hacktivism has depicted that hacktivism is always black hat
hacking as it uses information and data with illegal means. Hacktivism is the way of
breaching users' or owner’s privacy for some illegal or legal use. It can be concluded that
hacktivism is a black hat hacking process as it always happens without the consent of the
network administrator or system owner. Thus, from both concerns include how did hackers
access the information and what did hacker do with that hacked information, hacktivism is
found a black hat hacking here.

HACKING ETHICS 3
References
Argomedo, Daniel Weisz. Hactivism: Redefining what activists can do. Diss. San Diego State
University, 2015.
Lucas, George. "Ethical challenges of ‘disruptive innovation’: State sponsored hactivism and
‘soft’war." Evolution of Cyber Technologies and Operations to 2035. Springer, Cham, 2015.
175-184.
Mihai, Laura. "Art Hactivism as a Form of Market Resistance." Journal of Promotional
Communications 3.1 (2015).
Ogochukwu, Monye. "The Controversy of Hactivism and the Quest for Viable
Solutions." Nigerian LJ 20 (2017): 536.
Polat, Burak, Cemile Tokgöz Bakıroğlu, and Mira Elif Demirhan Sayın. "Hactivism in
Turkey: the case of Redhack." Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 4.9 (2013): 628.
Putnik, Nenad, and Milica Bošković. "Contemporary security challenges: Hactivism as a new
form of social conflict." Kultura polisa 10.21 (2013): 115-132.