A 23-year-old Briton has been arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) on suspicion of hacking the US Department of Defense (DoD) last summer in a case seemingly linked to the hacking group Lizard Squad.
The unnamed man was apprehended in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands on Wednesday as part of a coordinated anti-cybercrime swoop involving a dozen British police units, which led to 56 arrests across the country.
Andy Archibald, deputy director of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, said: "Behind this week’s activity is the message that all of us, as individuals, businesses or law enforcement agencies, have a role to plan in making the UK a safe place to enjoy the huge opportunities provided by the internet.
"Awareness of the type of cyber crime dangers which are out there is vital, whoever you are, as is collaboration between organisations across different sectors, regions and countries to develop the most effective ways of combating those threats."
The attack on the DoD was said to target the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS), used by the department to contact employees via email and phone, on June 15 of last year.
As a result 800 people had their data stolen, in a heist that included names, titles, email addresses and phone numbers.
The hacker responsible also took details on around 34,400 devices, including unique codes used to identify the equipment.
Despite this the NCA maintains that none of the data taken could be used as personally identifiable information (PII) or as a means of compromising US national security.
However in a bizarre twist the hacker also posted screenshots of a dashboard used to control the DoD database on Pastebin, alongside an inscrutable message that namechecked Lizard Squad.
"We smite the Lizards, LizardSquad your time is near," it read. "We’re in your bases, we control your satellites. The missiles shall rein upon thy who claim alliance, watch your heads, ** T-47:59:59 until lift off.
"We’re one, we’re many, we lurk in the dark,we’re everywhere and anywhere. Live Free Die Hard! DoD, DISA [Defense Information Systems Agency, part of DoD] EMSS : Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services is not all, Department of Defense has no Defenses."
