LulzSec disowns arrested hacker in the UK

LulzSec, the group allegedly leading a band of computer hackers suspected of attacking several government and corporate websites in the United Kingdom in the past weeks, seems to have denied that the suspect police arrested Tuesday is a member. "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," the UK Metropolitan Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) said in a news release on its website. The PCeU said its pre-planned intelligence-led operation resulted in the arrest of a 19-year-old man. The teenager was arrested for violating a UK law on computer misuse and fraud. He was taken to a central London police station for questioning. "Seems the glorious leader of LulzSec got arrested, it's all over now... wait... we're all still here! Which poor bastard did they take down?," LulzSec said in its Twitter account. UK officials did not identify the arrested hacker, but Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer of F-Secure Corp., gave a name. "The arrested person in Essex could be Ryan Cleary, a.k.a. ViraL. Not sure of his relation to LulzSec," Hypponen said in his Twitter account. LulzSec earlier called on all hackers to join in attacking websites of government and security agencies. LulzSec claimed it has the support of other hackers, including the activist network Anonymous. The police said they searched a residence in Wickford, Essex and that operation led to the examination of a "significant amount of material." The PCeU also said Essex Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation are assisting them. LulzSec had claimed responsibility for attacking the websites of an affiliate of the FBI and the Central Intelligence Agency. It also took credit for a DDoS attack on the UK Serious Organised Crimes Agency. The hackers also claimed to have accessed millions of records from the UK's 2011 Census. — ELR/VS, GMA News