Global cyber-hacking group Anonymous declares cyber warfare against Russia

Over the weekend, the cyberwar in Ukraine heated up as the cyber hacking group Anonymous entered the scene, declaring war "against the Russian government." The group has already claimed responsibility for a series of cyber-attacks, including DDoS strikes against Russian government portals and media. However, as the hacking battle worsens, businesses in other nations are more likely to be caught in the crossfire.

“With cyberwars, businesses away from the war zone inevitably get caught up in the online crossfire from the intensifying phishing and DDoS attacks,” Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at digital defense firm ESET, tells Verdict.

Hacking groups normally prefer to operate in the background, but Anonymous made its intention to assist the war against Russia publicly on February 24 by publishing it on a Twitter account affiliated to the group, @YourAnonOne.

The account claimed credit for deactivating the websites of Russian energy company Gazprom, state-controlled Russian news network RT, and a number of Russian and Belarusian government organizations, including the Kremlin's official website, in posts.

Following tweets claimed responsibility for interrupting Russian internet service providers, releasing data and emails from Belarusian weapons firm Tetraedr, and shutting down a gas supply provided by Russian telecoms company Tvingo Telecom.

The group has claimed responsibility for DDoS operations that have knocked down Russian government websites and, in some cases, taken down Kremlin mouthpiece Russia Today.

Anonymous also claimed to have hacked a database belonging to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The organization claimed to have hacked Russian state television networks on Sunday, broadcasting pro-Ukraine content such as patriotic songs and footage from the invasion. Thousands of Russians took to the streets to join anti-war protests over the weekend, coinciding with these attacks.

However, attributing these attacks to Anonymous with full certainty is challenging. Because of the group's informal structure, tracking its operations is difficult, especially as the Russian government is reluctant to share information about the operations with outsiders.

Russia is suspected of conducting its own form of cyber warfare on Ukraine. According to Reuters, catastrophic "data erasing" software struck Ukrainian government organizations and banking institutions last week. Russia has denied any involvement, the news agency stated. Also, some of Ukraine's official websites were shut down last week due to denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Ukraine has been subjected to cyber-attacks since Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, according to the report.

The news that Anonymous is claiming credit for breaches against Russia comes after the Ukrainian government apparently decided to recruit its own underground hacking network in the war effort, posting adverts for individuals to sign up on a cybersecurity firm's website. It's unclear whether Anonymous' actions are connected to this outreach.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's deputy prime minister and minister for digital transformation, announced the formation of a volunteer cyber army on February 26, according to Wired.