Essex teenager arrested after LulzSec attacks

A 19 year-old boy has been arrested in Wickford, Essex in connection with the recent craze of website attacks, New Scotland Yard has said.

Essex police arrested the teenager on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act and Fraud Act offences, following “a pre-planned intelligence-led operation”.

The operation was carried out with the help of the Met’s e-Crime Unit and the FBI, a police statement claimed.

A subsequent search into the suspect’s address has “led to the examination of a significant amount of material”, the Met said.

The suspect, who has not been named, is thought to currently be in custody at a central London police station.

No direct link between the suspect and LulzSec was made, though the Police did say the arrest “follows an investigation into network intrusions and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against a number of international business and intelligence agencies by what is believed to be the same hacking group.”

LulzSec is a hacking group which has claimed reponsibility for attacks on Bethesda, EVE Online, League of Legends and The Escapist. It has also targeted non-games services and companies, such as Sony Pictures and the CIA.

Another prominent hacking group, Anonymous, has had some alleged members arrested in recent weeks.