Our weapons are lines of codes! Applying routine activity theory to analyze the use of website defacements among hacktivists as a form of protest

• In Event: Cybercrime Offenders & Victims (part 2)

Abstract

Hacktivists are known for extensively using website defacements to promote their socio-political agendas. Website defacements are often relatively easy to achieve, especially when targeting websites that use systems with known unpatched vulnerabilities or that receive little maintenance. They are also relatively simple to fix, typically causing mild troubles to the targets but also hinting at more serious threats that might lurk behind the attacks. This study analyzes 14 years of website defacements recorded from January 2010 to December 2023 against thousands of websites worldwide. The analysis is based on the data provided by the Zone-H database, the largest self-reported repository of website defacements. It focuses on 'patriotism' and 'political reasons,' two of the seven categories that can be indicated as the main motives for hacking by the defacer. We used regression analysis to examine the relationships between hacktivism (obtained by the combination of the two categories) and variables of routine activity theory.

Authors

• Marco Romagna, The Hague University of Applied Sciences

• Rutger Leukfeldt, NSCR