Tag cyber

An Anecdote About Maintaining An Index Of Suspicion When Analyzing Hacktivist Spaces

Verification is an essential principle in all journalism, but perhaps doubly so when delving into a world of questionable legality in online spaces. Finding leads on a cybercrime or cyberwarfare beat can be as simple as following some sketchy communication channels and seeing what makes waves in them. Unfortunately, the nature of the offenses require a lot of technical expertise to solidify attribution.

#OpIran – How Hacktivism Is Shaping Iran’s Protests

Iran has erupted in protest after the brutal September 16th killing of Jina (or Mahsa) Amini. The Iranian government has had an extreme response: violent crackdowns, missile attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan, and a near-complete cutoff of its citizenry from any global communications. The reply from the Hacktivist community has been resounding. In part of the so-called "#OpIran", websites and infrastructure have sustained intense cyber attacks. Hackers have doxxed government officials and pro-regime celebrities. An important lifeline to the protest movement, these groups provided Iranian citizens with awareness of tools to continue reaching outside support and media while protecting their privacy.