U.K. Teens Apprehended For Using Lizard Squad's 'Lizard Stresser' DDoS Tool
If we may impart some words of wisdom to our younger readers out there, it's to choose your role models carefully. It's a piece of advice that comes too late for half a dozen teenagers living in the U.K. who were arrested as part of a sting operation targeting users of hacking group Lizard Squad's Lizard Stresser tool.
The Lizard Stresser tool is a piece of software that aids with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks typically consist of numerous infected systems pinging a single target with the intent of overwhelming the victim's server.
Those arrested for using the tool range in age from 15 to 18 years old. They're suspected of using it to target several different organizations, including a leading national newspaper, a school, multiple gaming companies, and several online retailers. Authorities didn't say if the teens had an agenda or reason for targeting the victims.
The sting, called Operation Vivarium, was coordinated by the National Crime Agency and included officers from multiple police forces and Regional Organized Crime Units.
"By paying a comparatively small fee, tools like Lizard Stresser can cripple businesses financially and deprive people of access to important information and public services. This multi-agency operation illustrates the commitment of the NCA and its partners to pursuing people who think they can criminally disrupt important public services or legitimate businesses," Tony Adams, Head of Investigations at the NCA's National Crime Unit, said in a statement.
These types of sting operations targeting younger individuals aren't just intended to catch and punish the culprits, but to "engage with those on the fringes of cyber criminality" and show them how they can use their talents for legitimate (and legal) causes.
The Lizard Stresser tool is a piece of software that aids with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks typically consist of numerous infected systems pinging a single target with the intent of overwhelming the victim's server.
Those arrested for using the tool range in age from 15 to 18 years old. They're suspected of using it to target several different organizations, including a leading national newspaper, a school, multiple gaming companies, and several online retailers. Authorities didn't say if the teens had an agenda or reason for targeting the victims.
The sting, called Operation Vivarium, was coordinated by the National Crime Agency and included officers from multiple police forces and Regional Organized Crime Units.
"By paying a comparatively small fee, tools like Lizard Stresser can cripple businesses financially and deprive people of access to important information and public services. This multi-agency operation illustrates the commitment of the NCA and its partners to pursuing people who think they can criminally disrupt important public services or legitimate businesses," Tony Adams, Head of Investigations at the NCA's National Crime Unit, said in a statement.
These types of sting operations targeting younger individuals aren't just intended to catch and punish the culprits, but to "engage with those on the fringes of cyber criminality" and show them how they can use their talents for legitimate (and legal) causes.
