KEY POINTS
  • Anonymous uses many strategies in its digital fight against Russia, the most effective being hacking into databases and leaking the information online, according to cybersecurity specialist Jeremiah Fowler.
  • The size of the leaked data will take years to process.
  • The hacks have also exposed Russia's cybersecurity defenses to be far weaker than previously believed, say cybersecurity researchers.

In this article

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Ongoing efforts by the underground hacktivists known as Anonymous are "embarrassing" Russia and its cybersecurity technology. 

That's according to Jeremiah Fowler, co-founder of the cybersecurity company Security Discovery, who has been monitoring the hacker collective since it declared a "cyber war" on Russia for invading Ukraine.

"Anonymous has made Russia's governmental and civilian cyber defenses appear weak," he told CNBC. "The group has demystified Russia's cyber capabilities and successfully embarrassed Russian companies, government agencies, energy companies and others."

"The country may have been the 'Iron Curtain,'" he said, "but with the scale of these attacks by a hacker army online, it appears more to be a 'paper curtain.'"

The Russian embassies in Singapore and London did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Ranking Anonymous' claims

Though missile strikes are making more headlines these days, Anonymous and its affiliate groups aren't losing steam, said Fowler, who summarized many of the collective's claims against Russia in a report published Friday.

CNBC grouped Anonymous' claims into six categories, which Fowler helped rank in order of effectiveness: