A seriously bold strategic move: As Robert Cookson and I reported today, Anonymous – the hacktivist group – has made a surprising change in tactics with the launch of Anonymous Analytics, a financial research group. The group has accused Chaoda Modern Agriculture, one of China’s biggest vegetable producers, of fraud in what the faction says will be the first of many such investigations. It plans both to comb corporate balance sheets itself and solicit WikiLeaks-style submissions from whistleblowers. As Joseph Menn chronicled in a feature this weekend, it’s the latest indication of how fast Anonymous is evolving, after a spate of arrests over Sony and News International hacking attacks in recent months. I contacted Anonymous Analytics through their website to find out a bit more. Financial Times: Why have you decided to look to corporate activism as well as political? Anonymous Analytics: It’s the logical next step. We think we may have something to contribute here. FT: Is this move related to the Wall Street “occupation” which Anonymous has supported? AA: It was inspired by OpOccupyWallStreet and OpEmpireStateRebellion, Operations which other factions of anonymous have backed or promoted. Unfortunately picketing or rallies or threats can have a muted impact. But when you target a company’s share price, suddenly the message gets heard really quick. And it can be very effective. FT: Do the individuals involved have CFA qualifications or other formal financial training? AA: That’s entirely possible. Our backgrounds vary, but it’s not something we discuss. FT: How far do you follow the usual Anonymous way of working in allowing anyone to contribute, without necessarily knowing who they are? AA: Generally, we try to stay small. It’s easier to move on information, and it’s a small house to keep in check. If we really need something outside the scope of our expertise, we outsource piecemeal work. We are doing everything legally. The last thing we need is focus on our methods rather than our work. FT: You’ve started in China – will that be the main geographic focus of your investigations? AA: No. But there are several reasons we chose to start with China. First, there are an asymmetric number of frauds coming out of China. When you have a country that’s growing at a reported 10% clip, you’re also going to get a lot of easy-to-detect frauds. That’s just the nature of the beast. Second, it’s an issue of money and resources. We don’t have enough of either to start attacking a major Western entity on an effective scale. So we have to start with smaller companies, gather enough resources and expertise, and slowly work our way up the food chain. We would love to take down the next Madoff, but we have to make sure our reach doesn’t exceed our grasp. We also hope that our work will encourage individuals who have information, but are either too scared or don’t have the investigative network we have to approach us. We have a secure dropbox on our website for anyone that wants to tip us. FT: How often can we expect you to publish research? AA: We have no quota. But when we stop producing clear, serious reports, we’re just going to call it in. No point in sticking around and being irrelevant. http://blogs.ft.com/fttechhub/2011/09/anonymous-analytics/#axzz1ZnwFpJN0 So what do you think this means exactly? What could they do with this shift of applying themselves to the financial sector?
I agree with most of the conversation here. !$#@ing Margins – How Do They Work? http://www.anonanalytics.com/ This site is more than likely a front group with ulterior motives that has nothing to do with the ultimate goals of Anonymous. If they aren't careful, they will attract the ire of anonymous if they muddy up their image with foul PR. Already the name is being ripped off by governments in Agent Provocateur moves in an effort to drag net would be participants in the movement. That a corporate group would appropriate the name in an effort to out shaky companies in order to make a profit in short selling? This is not surprising at all because of the public confidence in such a proven powerful mouth piece. If the mainstream media starts interviewing and covering them, and they are handing out interviews? Be suspicious. Is the Anonymous Threat to 'Erase' the NYSE Legit? Operation Invade Wall Street - A Message to the Media Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
