The hacker group Anonymous attacked the homepage of Russian news source Fontanka, causing other sites, including the state news agency Tass and the daily newspaper Kommersant, to temporarily shut down.
In Russia, social media access has been banned because of the war with Ukraine, with users in Moscow and Saint Petersburg unable to view photographs of the invasion in Ukraine.
Users on Twitter commended Anonymous for their anti-Russia stance, even urging them to “focus on draining Russia’s money.” Meanwhile, after accessing Fontanka, the hacker group sent a message to Russian residents asking them to help resolve the conflict, Marca reported.
Anonymous has waged a cyber war against Russia
Since Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s digital systems have been subjected to a slew of cyberattacks. It was evident early on that Russia’s “boots on the ground” strategy would be reinforced by a cyber attack.
Ukraine’s residents were urged to take to their keyboards last week to protect the country from Russia’s cyber menace. At the same time, the hacktivist organization Anonymous was waging a campaign to strike Russia with its global army of cyber warriors.
Anonymous is a worldwide activist group that has existed since at least 2008. Other cases include the theft and publishing of material from the Russian Defense Ministry, which might contain critical information helpful to Ukrainian forces.
Emails from Belarusian weapons firm Tetraedr were allegedly obtained, as well as data from the Russian Nuclear Institute. It’s too early to say how valuable this information will be. Because the majority of the stolen data will be in Russian, translators will be required to assist in the investigation.
Russian television stations were also targeted and forced to broadcast Ukrainian music and unfiltered war news from outside Russia.
It’s difficult to know for sure whether Anonymous was responsible for the cyberattacks for which it claimed responsibility. The movement is based on anonymity, and there is no way to verify its legitimacy.
Could cyber attacks help halt the Russia-Ukraine war?
However, the tactics, targets, and theatrics on display are similar to those used by the organization in prior operations. Furthermore, even if certain cyberattacks are not directly related to Anonymous’s operations, one may argue that this is irrelevant. It’s all about being seen as influential in Anonymous.
The Anonymous cyberattacks are unlikely to have a substantial influence on Russia’s intentions or military operations. However, these efforts might yield crucial knowledge regarding Russia’s precise methods, which would be beneficial to the Ukrainians and their supporters.
Another advantage is that the invasion’s impact on Ukrainians is receiving greater attention – particularly in Russia, where news is heavily restricted. This might assist in offsetting Russia’s internal propaganda machine by providing a more balanced perspective on events.
Attacks on both sides, involving both state and non-state actors, are expected to continue to rise. The National Computer Incident Response and Coordination Center in Russia have upped the danger level to “critical,” suggesting that cyberattacks on Russian infrastructure are a threat, as per News Hub.
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