Anonymous wages a cyberwar against Russia and says they will release “secret agreement” documents from the Russian Central Bank. Anonymous is an international activist collective group that is active on the internet. They have begun their cyberwar against President Vladimir Putin since he began his invasion of Ukraine.
“Soon you will feel the wrath of the world’s hackers,” Anonymous declared in a video on Twitter in late February.
The group has made good on its promise. They have hacked a Russian State TV channel and interrupted programming to show the bombing of Ukraine.
The Russian government has very tight control over its media. President Putin signed a law that criminalizes reporting against the official government statement on the war in Ukraine.
Western sanctions are working to cut-off Russia from international trade and the international banking system. Among the steps they took is Russia being removed from the SWIFT systems that allow international transfers.
Anonymous’s main advantage is its digital capability. Although unconventional, they have means that could change the tide. Among their targets are international companies that have not yet left Russia. They tweeted “Your time is running out. We do not forgive. We do not forget.” Also, earlier this month, members of the group offered $52,000 worth of Bitcoin to Russian soldiers to abandon their tanks.
There are also a number of hackers from Poland who have built a group named Squad 303. The name comes from a World War II Polish fighter squadron. They have built a website that allows people to send messages to random Russian numbers to inform them about the war. So far about 20 million tests have already been sent.
In the digital age, cyber talents are vital because they provide support and protection in places that no armies could go.