U.K. Police Make Arrest in Christmas Day PSN, Xbox Live Hack

U.K. police have arrested the man they believe carried out the Christmas Day hack that brought down Xbox Live and PSN.

Image via fortune.com

After their Christmas day hack shut down both the Playstation and Xbox Live networks, the hacking group Lizard Squad immediately claimed responsibility. On New Year’s Eve, British police detained group member Vinnie Omari, a 22-year-old who they believed had some connection to the attack.

Today, there’s been an actual arrest in the case. While the name of the suspect has yet to be released, a statement from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) Cyber Crime Unit indicates that he is an 18-year-old male in Southport, a coastal town about 20 miles north of Liverpool.

The statement gives the following reasons for the arrest:


“An 18-year-old man was arrested this morning (16/1) in Boundary Street, Southport on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material contrary to section 1 of Computer Misuse Act 1990, unauthorised access with intent to commit further offences contrary to section 2 of Computer Misuse Act 1990 and threats to kill contrary to Section 16 of Offences against the person Act 1861.


A number of electronic and digital devices were seized to be examined by SEROCU's Cyber Crime Forensic and eForensics Unit.”

The man arrested does not seem to be Omari, who was still tweeting after the arrest was made:

Whoever this young man is, it’s probably safe to say he is now going to be the one who gets hacked by a whole mess of angry gamers. Internet retribution at its finest.

[via Gawker]

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