16 Alleged 'Anonymous' Hackers Arrested in Four States
The FBI made arrests and executed search warrants on Tuesday in homes located in four states – Florida, New Jersey, New York and California – thought to be the residences of members of the infamous “hacktivist” group Anonymous, FoxNews.com reported.
According to the media outlet, so far 16 suspects allegedly pertaining to the infamous hacker group were arrested in raids associated to allegations that the notorious international group of hackers carried out DDos, or distributed denial of service attacks, on various company websites, including Visa and MasterCard last year.
The homes of individuals in Long Island, N.Y., in additional to one in Brooklyn, N.Y., suspected to house members of Anonymous were searched for computers, laptops and other electronic devices.
Also, more than ten FBI agents gathered to carry out a search warrant in Baldwin, N.Y., with at least one laptop being confiscated from the site.
It seems as if the U.S. Government is finally retaliating for the stream of continuous attacks hacker groups as such have conducted against not only corporate websites but government websites around the world.
Now the question that lingers is, will these arrests lead to consequent arrests?
Last month, another hacker group, Lulzsec, hacked the Arizona State Police Department website and made public hundreds of confidential files. Lulzsec explained its action as a response to the stringent immigration law, SB1070, that Arizona’s lawmakers have imposed on immigrants.
LulzSec earlier also claimed responsibility for hacking into the website of News Corp's tabloid, the Sun, and posting a false report on the death of the media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The hacking group also informed that it would be releasing hundreds of Murdoch's personal emails after it was alleged that the media baron allowed his reporters to engage in illegal activities, such as hacking into people's mobile phones.
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