Hacktivist, a graphic novel inspired by global hacking activist collective Anonymous and created by actress Alyssa Milano will be adapted for the small screen at a time when another Anonymous-inspired TV show Mr.Robot, is garnering rave reviews.

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano, an actress who has appeared in feature films and network TV shows is known for taking definitive stances politically, will see her 2014 graphic novel ‘Hacktivist’ adapted as a television series.

According to Deadline, The CW network will be developing an adaptation of the graphic novel Hacktivist, created by Alyssa Milano. The concept for the cyber-thriller graphic novel was pitched by Milano to comic publisher Boom! Studios, only coming after Marvel and DC in controlling the largest library of comic book IPs.

Hacktivist features two lead characters who run a successful social media company. The fictional characters are also hackers by night, inspired by popular hacktivist group Anonymous. Also, the protagonist in the comic was modeled after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, while the fictional company based on the real-life social media giant.

Speaking to the Daily Dot in an earlier interview, Milano revealed how the idea came about.

I became obsessed with the role of the media, and how it was being used as a tool for protest.

At the same time, Anonymous was using hacking skills to empower people. And I thought, ‘What if Anonymous wasn’t a group but one person?’ And that spiraled into, ‘What if Anonymous was one guy? What characteristics would he have?’ He’d have to be socially aware, a coder, have access, be compassionate.”

Hacking activists in various parts of the world tend to unify under the banner of ‘Anonymous’, a faceless, leaderless, decentralized group of anyone and everyone who takes up its name.

Some of Anonymous’ most prominent movements occurred on November 5, 2013. Millions of demonstrators in over 400 cities around the world jointly participated in the Million Mask March on the day that that remembered the Guy Fawkes Night. The Guy Fawkes mask is commonly seen as the symbol of Anonymous, with members of the group readily distinguishable in public by wearing the masks.

Anonymous has undeniably made its mark in the mainstream consciousness. Wildly popular and critically-acclaimed TV shows like Mr. Robot see its fundamental premise in hacker activism and the new TV adaption of ‘Hacktivist’ – directly influenced by Anonymous – will only further perpetuate the loosely-associated international hacktivist network.

 Images from Amazon, Flickr and Shutterstock.

In 2014, Anonymous hacker Martin Gottesfeld was allegedly involved in the hacking of Boston Children’s Hospital following the suspected mistreatment of one of its patients. Now, the alleged hacker has begun his second week of a hunger strike in prison to protest the assumed prosecution of the late Internet activist Aaron Swartz and the controversial child-custody case involving Justina Pelletier, reports Newsweek.

Two and a half years ago, the hacker collective Anonymous released a video calling for attacks against the hospital. It was alleged that 15-year-old Justina Pelletier was being held against her will by the State of Massachusetts where she was ‘tortured physically and mentally.’

In a letter, Gottesfeld wrote that what happened to Justina Pelletier goes far beyond a medical or custody dispute, and beyond child abuse.

He wrote:

Tragically, tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of children have suffered horrific abuse at fraudulent places who have no legitimate right to call themselves ‘residential treatment programs.’

Two Demands Need to be Met

In order for his hunger strike to come to an end, Gottesfeld is asking for two demands to be met.

He wants the U.S. presidential candidates to make a promise ensuring that children are no longer mistreated, tortured, abused or killed, and he wants to end the style of prosecution that U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, Carmen Ortiz waged against Aaron Swartz, Reddit co-founder. Swartz is reported to have committed suicide after he was accused of alleged computer crimes.

Speaking to Newsweek, Dana Gottesfeld, wife of Martin Gottesfeld said that he believes his conditions will be met.

She added:

If the candidates make the pledge but don’t make good on it, he plans to strike again.

He faces up to five years in prison and a $380,000 fine.

For now, it remains to be seen if the presidential candidates will consider his demands. Given Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s previous thoughts on what he thinks should be done to Edward Snowden if he became president, you have to wonder what kind of reception Martin Gottesfeld will receive from him.

Featured image from Shutterstock.

In a campaign that sees activist and hacktivist collective Anonymous target primary financial institutions such as central banks with #OpIcarus, Greece’s central bank was targeted in a massive DDoS attack. The group has also revealed that it will be targeting other central banks in a 30-day campaign.

Greece’s central bank was the latest target of hacktivist collective Anonymous which is engaging in #OpIcarus.

Originally launched in January 2016, Operation Icarus or #OpIcarus deems central banks around the world as a ‘global banking cartel’, who, as the legend of Icarus goes, are flying too close to the sun. The revival of #OpIcarus sees the Greek central bank becoming the first target in what is gearing up to be a month-long campaign.

In a video, Anonymous describes its latest endeavor:

A narrator for Anonymous says:

The time has come to set the wings of their empire ablaze, and watch the system [that] their power relies on, come to a grinding halt and come crashing down around them.

An official from the Bank of Greece confirmed the disruption caused by an attack on Tuesday, taking down the central bank’s website.

“The attack lasted for a few minutes and was successfully tackled by the bank’s security system. The only thing that was affected by the denial-of-service attack was our website,” an official told Reuters.

Anonymous has previously engaged in campaigns against banks and the financial system. Operation ‘Black October’ from 2015 saw a peaceful revolution wherein the hacktivist collective claimed that private banks have failed ordinary people.

Since then, the ambition to take down bigger targets has grown, as with the latest move to target the Greece Central Bank.

The narrator adds:

We must strike at the heart of their empire by once again throwing a wrench into the machine, but this time, we face a much bigger target -the global financial system.

This time, our target is the Global Banking Cartel.

A list of targets released by Anonymous also includes financial institutions in Brazil, China, Iran, UK and USA, among other countries.