Who Are the Hacktivist Groups Attacking Governments? | ft. Max Smeets, Cyber Expert. (Ep 32 - Clip 2)

In this clip, Max Smeets explores two lesser-known but highly significant players in the cyber domain — Cyber Partisans and Predatory Sparrow — who are reshaping the boundaries of cyber conflict beyond traditional nation-states.Cyber Partisans is a Belarusian resistance group that has conducted multiple disruptive cyberattacks against the Belarusian government. Their operations have included halting railway networks, exposing passport scans of top officials including President Lukashenko, and leaking sensitive personal details of officers. Remarkably, the group is attempting to build a responsible framework around its actions, deciding what to target, whom to notify, and where not to operate — setting a precedent for organized digital resistance.Predatory Sparrow, on the other hand, is an elusive actor claiming to be hacktivist-led, though signs suggest a likely connection to a state actor. They are known for highly sophisticated attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including a steel mill and energy facilities. In a rare move, they notified emergency services before launching attacks to minimize civilian harm, raising deep questions about ethics, attribution, and the rules of engagement in cyber operations.In both cases, these groups deserve more analytical attention for how they blur the lines between activism, cyberwarfare, and covert state action in a rapidly evolving digital battlefield.Watch Full Episode: https://youtu.be/XXSIa5-exTI