Hacktivism is the use of hacking to spread a political message, and it has experienced a resurgence in the last year. Although hacktivism died down after the crackdown on Anonymous (one of the largest hacktivist groups), one of its founding members has returned. Motivated by a feeling of personal responsibility for the current political climate (stemming from the group’s previous actions), Aubrey Cottle mounted a hack against domain provider and alt-right haven Epik, exposing 220GB of user data, including names, addresses, and credit card numbers. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
