Black Hat

Black Hat

Black Hat logo
Motto	Beware false paths
Formation	c. 2003
Type	Virtual community
Purpose	Anti-cyber-surveillance Anti-cyber-censorship Internet activism Internet vigilantism
Region served	Eurth
Membership	Decentralized affinity group

Black Hat is a decentralized cyberterrorist organisation that emerged around 2003, challenging the boundaries of cybersecurity and digital privacy. Operating under a non-hierarchical structure, the group advocates for a range of digital causes, prominently including anti-cyber-surveillance, anti-cyber-censorship, internet activism, and internet vigilantism. Predominantly active throughout the Eurth region, the group has well-documented affiliations with the criminal underworld. Adhering to their guiding principle, "Beware false paths", Black Hat orchestrates meticulously planned hacking campaigns, aiming to secure classified data. They often employ this sensitive information as a potent bargaining tool against governments and influential global entities.

History

The inception of Black Hat in 2003 marked the beginning of a series of high-profile cyber-attacks, where they released confidential documents hacked from various governments, institutions, and corporations. The group took their cyber-activities a notch higher in 2004, leading to the shutdown of a power plant, which gained massive media attention. This event resurrected the media's focus on their earlier leaks. Another significant action took place in 2005, which eventually forced the group to operate covertly in 2006.

With the passage of time, Black Hat has demonstrated the capacity to evolve, adapt, and extend its reach to virtually any digital realm, keeping global institutions perpetually on their toes. These actions further solidified Black Hat's reputation as a formidable digital force, unafraid to challenge the powerful, and acting as a self-proclaimed guardian of public interest.

2000s

• 2007: The infamous Manamana Memos leaked by Black Hat revealed the classified financial transactions of the Rohinese International Trade Zai in Rohini.
• 2008: Black Hat exposed the illegal surveillance network operated by Onotech, a major tech conglomerate. This revelation prompted a wave of public distrust towards large tech firms.
• 2009: Through #OpGreenFire, the group brought attention to the unlawful dumping of toxic waste in the Tethys Sea by the multinational Vireo Industries. A series of leaked documents implicated high-ranking officials within Tamurin of conspiring to conceal their environmental misdeeds.

2010s

• 2010: Diplomatic cables from the Entente of Oriental States were exposed to the public.
• 2011: Black Hat orchestrated a major digital sit-in against Elder Communications, an Eurth-based telecom giant, accusing it of colluding with certain governments for eavesdropping on its own customers.
• 2012: The release of thousands of encrypted diplomatic communications from the Aurelian League, revealing covert operations and previously undisclosed alliances. This act sent shockwaves through the global diplomatic community.
• 2013: An elaborate operation saw Black Hat releasing classified documents about a secret bio-weapon program named “Project Lysander” run by Great Anglia.
• 2014: Launch of #OpGuardian that focused on liberating suppressed information within dictator-ruled states. The most significant release during this operation was the Seraph Files, which detailed the crimes against humanity conducted under the regime of General Armand Voltaire in Delpacia.
• 2015: Black Hat unveiled a series of undercover operations called #OpSilentEcho that targeted global pharmaceutical companies. They exposed the hidden clinical trials of the drug “Nexovir” by the MedPharm Group, which was allegedly linked to severe health complications in patients. The leaks led to global recalls of the drug and a substantial decline in MedPharm's stock value.
• 2016
  • February 2016: Classified plans regarding the Oshun-class submarine of Orioni were leaked on the internet by an anonymous blogger.
  • August 2016: An operation dubbed #OpVLA was executed against the Afropan-based Violetist Liberation Army, particularly targeting VLA-associated online platforms, websites, and social media accounts.
• 2017: They spread doctored photos and made false accusations against Primo Franso Deitorr of Iverica, which were subsequently disseminated via platforms like 4Chance and State of Nations.
• 2018: #OpDolchland was initiated in protest against the alleged inhuman practices of and slavery by the Dolchland government. The actions particularly targetted government websites.
• 2019: Confidential cables from the Sunset Sea Islands were leaked, uncovering the ulterior motives behind the establishment of the UBPSSIF Protected Marine Reserve. Following this, the SSI substantially enhanced their cybersecurity infrastructure and amplified their mass surveillance efforts.

2020s

• 2020: Black Hat revealed a massive data breach involving Eucalian Bank in $country, leading to the exposure of the financial details of over 10 million clients. The leaked data was traced back to a compromised senior executive, Finn Marlowe, who denied any involvement.
• 2021: Launch of #OpAquila, targeting the electoral systems of Variota. It is believed this action was in protest against the alleged rigged elections favouring President Dina Diva.
• 2022: Black Hat leaked classified blueprints of a new military drone prototype, the Talon SK-5, from the defence contractor Vega Industries. The leak sparked international concerns about the unchecked proliferation of advanced military technologies.
• 2023
  • March 2023: Mireille Dubois, an alleged key member of Black Hat, was apprehended in San Giorgio during a covert operation. Her arrest shed light on Black Hat's sophisticated network of global operations.
  • June 2023: As a show of power, Black Hat claimed responsibility for a coordinated cyberattack that disrupted the power grids of Tharistan, causing widespread blackouts for days.
  • July 2023: #OpPhoenix was initiated, targeting corrupt media conglomerates across Eurth, especially those owned by media tycoon Rupert Elmsworth. Multiple news outlets were taken offline, replaced with messages promoting press transparency and integrity.

Arrests and trials

In the wake of their activities, legal consequences followed. In 2010, Mr Warner Habitami was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the RITZ-scandal in Rohini during the worst of the financial crisis. According to Orinese prosecutors, he had approved the concealment of hundreds of millions in losses. Habitami lied about the value of his bank’s transfer, but other bankers behaved far worse. Habitami’s former employer, for one, had revised its past financial statements to account for these losses and more. Notably, he would earn the distinction of being the sole financial executive imprisoned for his role in the financial crisis. Yet, in a twist of events, Habitami managed to escape from Meda Police custody during transport to a courthouse on 1 January 2019.