Report by Forescout
The Rise of State-Sponsored Hacktivism
Key Findings
Less than 1% of hacktivist attacks impacted organizations in the Americas.
NoName057(16) was the most active hacktivist group, accounting for 90% of attacks analyzed. It is also cited as being behind 90% of state-aligned cyberattacks in 2024.
Geographically, 82% of hacktivist attacks targeted Europe.
Four state-aligned hacktivist groups claimed responsibility for 780 attacks in 2024 alone.
The other state-aligned hacktivist groups accounted for the remaining attacks: BlackJack (1%), Handala Group (8%), and the Indian Cyber Force (1%).
18% of hacktivist groups targeted Asia, including the Middle East.
44% of hacktivist attacks in 2024 targeted government and military entities.
Critical infrastructure remains a prime target for hactivist groups. Specifically: 44 attacks targeted government entities, including military services, 21% of attacks focused on the transportation and logistics sector, and 21% of attacks focused on the transportation and logistics sector..
21% of hacktivist attacks in 2024 targeted the transportation and logistics sector.
The most frequently targeted countries by hacktivist groups were Ukraine (141 attacks), Israel (80 attacks), and Spain (64 attacks).
13% of hacktivist attacks in 2024 targeted financial services.