Online hacker groups Anonymous and Lulz Security (LulzSec) have leaked a large cache of data stolen from 70 law enforcement agencies in the US on Saturday.
In what they call the "largest cache yet", the hackers released over 10GB of stolen sensitive data in an opertion they dubbed as "Shooting Sheriffs Saturday Release" on Twitter.
Leaked data included emails addresses, passwords, Social Security Numbers and stolen credit card information of US law enforcement employees.
An user under the name "Sabu" said the attack was aimed to "embarrass, discredit and incriminate police officers across the U.S."
Saying that the attacks were against the crackdown on the two hacker groups, they said, "We are doing this in solidarity with Topiary and the Anonymous PayPal LOIC defendants as well as all other political prisoners who are facing the gun of the crooked court system…
You may bust a few of us, but we greatly outnumber you, and you can never stop us from continuing to destroy your systems and leak your data."
The hackers added, "We have no sympathy for any of the officers or informants who may be endangered by the release of their personal information."
The hackers said they have used some of the credit cards to make "involuntary donations" to causes supported by Anonymous and LulzSec.
According to the Washington Post, two sheriffs’ offices have confirmed the breaches.
In Arkansas, St. Francis County Sheriff Bobby May May told The Associated Press that it is an international group who are hacking into law enforcement websites across the nation.
In Louisiana, Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Deputy James Cox said information was stolen but it was not sensitive.
He told the Washington Post, "That’s just a local-information type website."
"Just a little bit about our sheriff’s office, number of deputies…Just general information."
