Emma Best
Saturday, August 16, 2025: 3:00 pm (Marillac Auditorium): During the past two decades, hacktivist spaces have been infiltrated and co-opted by hostile interests, ranging from state actors to political and corporate entities and entitled oligarchs. This talk examines how these outside parties have attempted to build private cyber armies and task forces through the recruitment and exploitation of gray and black hat hackers. Special focus is given to the "Anonymous" brand, Western state actors, and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.