HackWeiser is an underground hacking

Hacker (computer security)

In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...

 group and hacking magazine founded in 1999. In early-2001 the founder and leader, p4ntera, left the group with saying very little.

In April 2001 Hackweiser claimed credit with the start of Project China. The project was a focus of hack attacks based at Mainland Chinese

Mainland Chinese

Mainland Chinese or Mainlanders are Chinese people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of areas ruled by the People's Republic of China, referring to people from Mainland China as opposed to other areas controlled by the state such as Hong Kong or...

 computer systems.

The group has appeared in the news due to having defaced well known websites, including websites owned by Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

, Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

, Walmart, Girlscouts of America, Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig is an American weight loss guru and founder of Jenny Craig, Inc. Craig was raised in New Orleans and married Sidney Harvey Craig in 1979. In 1983, she and her husband created a nutrition, fitness, and weight loss program in Australia...

, DARE, Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...

 aka Area 51

Area 51

Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...

, CyberNanny. and countless others. They have been noted by the US Attorney's

United States Attorney

United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...

 Bulletin in reference to "Responsible hackers". They have won multiple categories in the "State of the Hack Awards"

The members of the groups were a mix of Grey hat

Grey hat

A grey hat, in the hacking community, refers to a skilled hacker whose activities fall somewhere between white and black hat hackers on a variety of spectra. It may relate to whether they sometimes arguably act illegally, though in good will, or to show how they disclose vulnerabilities...

 and Black Hat

Black hat

A black hat is the villain or bad guy, especially in a western movie in which such a character would stereotypically wear a black hat in contrast to the hero's white hat, especially in black and white movies....

 hackers

Members included;
R4ncid, Bighawk, Immortal, RaFa

Rafa

-Places:*Rafah, a town in Gaza Strip*Rafa, Kuyavian-Pomeranian, a village in central northeast Poland- People :* Rafa is short for Rafael* Rafael "Rafa" Nadal , Spanish tennis player...

, [P]hoenix, Squirrlman, eth1cal and Jak-away.

The group eventually fell apart and disbanded after the arrest of Hackah Jak in mid 2003.
Although reports still indicate that many ex-members are active on the underground.

.