Posted on 03/06/2012 9:54:32 PM PST by NoLibZone
Top members of the computer hacker group "Anonymous" and its offshoots were arrested and charged Tuesday after a wide-ranging investigation used the help of a group leader who was working as a secret government informant.
Five of the suspects, considered by investigators among the "most sophisticated hackers in the world," were arrested in the United States and Europe and charged in a Manhattan federal court over their alleged role in high-profile cyberattacks against government agencies and large companies, according to an indictment.
A sixth man, Hector Xavier Monsegur, a notorious hacker known as "Sabu," pleaded guilty in August to computer hacking and other crimes.
As part of his plea deal, Monsegur cooperated with government investigators and helped build a case against the five other defendants, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
Ryan Ackroyd, 23; Jake Davis, 29; Darren Martyn, 25; and Donncha O'Cearrbhail, 19, have been charged with conspiracy regarding attacks against Fox Broadcasting Co., Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS.
O'Cearrbhail is also accused of hacking into the personal e-mail account of an Irish national police officer and eavesdropping on a conference call between Irish police, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies about ongoing investigations into Anonymous and other hacker groups. The suspect allegedly recorded the call and disseminated the recording to other hackers.
Jeremy Hammond, 27, was charged with a December cyberattack against a Texas firm called Strategic Forecasting Inc., which authorities say might have affected about 860,000 people.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
All anonymous has accomplished is to give governments reason to remove the freedom we enjoy online.
If found guilty , I hope they are executed.
I am very glad they caught some members. Maybe the ones that are arrested start ratting on other members.
Ryan Ackroyd, 23; Jake Davis, 29; Darren Martyn, 25; and Donncha O’Cearrbhail, 19, have been charged with conspiracy regarding attacks against Fox Broadcasting Co., Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS.
We Are Anonymous, We Are Legion....err...we are in jail...LOL
If their skills are as good as it appears they are, they will be of more value to the government alive, and working for them, which is a more probable outcome.
These guys are a bunch of idiots, they’ve cost companies millions of dollars just for their petty revenge. I can’t remember the name of that company, but they did expose that corrupt CEO guy that was gonna turn them all in....or that’s the story I heard at least....they are on the wrong side of the fight though.
“Anonymous” actually took down the City of Springfield, Missouri web site. Why? Who the heck knows. Some links still down. Over 2K citizens had their personal info compromised. City now paying for “cyber-insurance.” Co$tly to taxpayers!
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