Hacktivists are individuals or groups that use computer networks and hacking techniques to promote a political or social agenda. Unlike other threat actors who may be motivated by financial gain or personal beliefs, hacktivists typically aim to draw attention to social, environmental, or political issues. They often engage in activities such as website defacement, denial-of-service attacks, or the release of confidential information to make a statement or force change related to their cause.
References: The EC-Council's Certified Network Defender (CND) program discusses various types of threat actors, including hacktivists, as part of its curriculum on network security and defense strategies1. The program emphasizes the importance of understanding the motivations behind different threat actors to effectively protect, detect, respond, and predict network security incidents1.