Week 14 - 'Hackers rewarded for web attacks'

'Hackers rewarded for web attacks' 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38262907

• Turkish hacking group has turned web attacks into a game by rewarding people who successfully hit designated targets
• loyalty points to hackers for every short-lived attack they mount against a small number of websites
• All the targeted websites are run by organisations that oppose Turkey's government
• "Surface Defence", the site is run from the Tor dark web network and gives hackers access to a web attack tool called Sledgehammer
• Targets include Kurdish campaign groups and media organisations, opposition political parties and a site detailing the Armenian genocide
• "This is the first time hackers have 'gamified' a hacking platform to the extent that participants compete against one another," said Carl Leonard

This article reveals the affect of new/digital media and how serious situations have become 'gamified' in order to benefit individuals. The fact that hackers are being rewarded changes the purpose for audiences now as they will become influenced by this and could potentially begin to want to become rewarded too and therefore participate in these activities. The issue of hacking and privacy is an important one, raising many ethical concerns and causes the world around us to rise with the worry of 'techno panics.' This therefore makes it much more of a threat for audiences.