News has just broken claiming that the leader and mastermind of infamous hacking group LulzSec has been arrested in Wickford, Essex. The suspect in question is a 19-year-old male who was caught as a result of a pre-planned operation and collaboration between the Essex Police and the FBI. The teenager was “arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act, and Fraud Act offences” and is currently detained in a London police station, according to a UK Metropolitan Police report.
The arrest comes after an investigation into recent network hacks and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on major websites worldwide, allegedly by the same group (believed to be LulzSec). Searches were also conducted at the residency of the teenager and a significant amount of material was and still is being examined by forensic experts. Due to the nature of the intelligence-led operation and the investigation into recent hacks it is more than likely that the teenager is in fact the mastermind behind LulzSec.
No other details have emerged at this stage about the situation; however this just goes to show that no hacking group is immune to the effects of the law and the professionals that man investigations. This will obviously be a major blow to the group, but as recent leaks suggest there was not just one person behind LulzSec, instead several who all went by various aliases. It is only a matter of time before they too are caught.
Update: According to a tweet posted just under half an hour ago by @Anonesc, the alleged leader of Lulzsec is apparently not a leader at all, but actually an IRC operator named Ryan.
At the very least, Lulzsec have confirmed that the detained teenager had some part in the group, albeit not as dramatic as first believed.
Thanks to _DP and others for the tips via the forums
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