Hacktivists are threat actors who use cyberattacks to promote a social or political cause, such as environmentalism, human rights, or democracy. They may target companies that they perceive as violating their values or harming the public interest. Hacktivists often use techniques such as defacing websites, launching denial-of-service attacks, or leaking sensitive data to expose or embarrass their targets12.
References: An introduction to the cyber threat environment, page 3; What is a Threat Actor? Types & Examples of Cyber Threat Actors, section 2.