Those behind cyber attacks are difficult to identify personally. A hacker’s aim is usually to disable networks, take websites offline or access sensitive data. Sometimes, hackers are motivated by personal gain; ransomware attacks, for example, block access to a computer or network which can only be released after a payment (ransom) has been made. Other times, hackers are driven by social change or a political cause and classify their activities as “hacktivism”, a type of online protest or civil disobedience.