Arrests made by UK police in hacking group investigation

Shawn Knight

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What just happened? Police in London recently arrested seven people connected to a hacking group. Detective Inspector Michael O'Sullivan of the City of London Police said seven people between the ages of 16 and 21 were arrested in connection with an investigation into a hacking group. All have since been released under investigation, O'Sullivan said, adding that their inquiries remain ongoing.

A report from the BBC claims the group in question is Lapsus$. It is unclear if one of the teens arrested and released was the alleged 16-year-old mastermind referenced in an earlier report from Bloomberg.

The BBC report also mentions a 16-year-old from Oxford. The child, who can't be named for legal reasons, is said to have autism and attends a special education school.

The boy's father said he hadn't heard anything about the matter until recently. "He's never talked about any hacking, but he is very good on computers and spends a lot of time on the computer. I always thought he was playing games."

The BBC claims the hacker was outed after a falling out with a business partner. Allison Nixon, chief research officer at cyber-security investigation company Unit 221B, claims they have known his identity since the middle of last year.

"Unit 221B working with [cyber-security company] Palo Alto after identifying the actor, watched him on his exploits throughout 2021, periodically sending law enforcement a heads-up about the latest crimes," Nixon said.

The security researcher said the hacker failed to cover his tracks online, making it easier to track his activity.

Lapsus$ in a Telegram message on Wednesday said some of its members were on vacation until March 30. We might be quiet for some times. Thanks for understand us - we will try to leak stuff ASAP."

Image credit Kindel Media, cottonbro

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Scouting new talent and this kid seems full of it or these kids are all just the fall guys.
March 30th something expected?
 
"The BBC claims the hacker was outed after a falling out with a business partner"

... is said to have autism and attends a special education school.

I'm surprised they didn't add pre-med to his resume

 
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