Definition
A red hat hacker is a hacker who acts as a digital vigilante, leveraging their hacking expertise to convey a message or advocate for a cause.
Their reasons can be political, religious, social, or ideological. They use the same tools as black hat hackers, including malware, botnets, and vulnerability exploits. Sometimes, red-hat hackers can team up with white-hat hackers if their views align.
Example of Red Hat Hackers
- Anonymous is one of the most well-known hacktivist groups globally, having launched cyber campaigns against the Church of Scientology, WikiLeaks, and Vladimir Putin.
- WikiLeaks is a non-profit organization that advocates for free speech by publishing classified and confidential information. It has exposed various governments and political parties and frequently targets US agencies, political figures, and diplomats.
- Legion of Doom is another influential hacktivism group. A group member authored the infamous Hacker Manifesto, which has inspired many hackers.