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The hacker who helped the FBI stop cyberattacks is now a free man
Lead LulzSec hacker Sabu (aka Hector Xavier Monsegur) was no doubt hoping for leniency when he turned informant, and it looks like his gamble has paid off. A federal court has sentenced him to the time he served in 2012, letting him walk away a free man. As prosecutors explain, Monsegur was a very "productive cooperator" -- he provided complete, detailed information that helped the FBI take down LulzSec and stop a string of cyberattacks against both corporate and government targets, including Sony.
Hacker-turned-FBI informant may have orchestrated foreign cyberattacks
The hacker subplot in House of Cards' second season might have felt out of place, but from the sounds of a recent New York Times report, Frank Underwood's methods for putting captured hackers to work might not be too far-fetched. After being busted by the FBI, top LulzSec hacker Sabu may have conscripted at least one former accomplice to carry out a string of cyber-attacks against foreign banks and government websites, according to interviews and documents obtained by the Times. Sabu's seemingly indirect involvement suggests that he may have acted as a federal informant, helping to exploit the likes of the Heartbleed security flaw for state-sponsored cyber-terrorism. For the full report, be sure to head over to the source link. [Image credit: Idhren/Flickr]
Top LulzSec members arrested, group leader reportedly acted as informant
The LulzSec hacking group may have officially called it quits last June, but that doesn't mean it was able to escape the eye of law enforcement. As Fox News reports, today saw three group members arrested and two more charged with conspiracy -- a move that one FBI official described as "chopping off the head of LulzSec." What's more, it's reported that group leader "Sabu," now identified as 28-year-old Hector Xavier Monsegur, was acting as an informant for the FBI since he was first caught and secretly arrested in June of last year (around the time the group disbanded). Court documents unsealed today also show that Monsegur has pleaded guilty to carrying out attacks on companies like MasterCard and PayPal, and that he's been charged with 12 criminal counts of conspiracy. The full indictments against the group's members can be found at the Gizmodo link below, and the FBI's press release can be found after the break.
