UK police working closely with the FBI have arrested a 18-year-old man in connection to the Christmas Day hacking of Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network.
The DDOS attacks disrupted both networks and hacker group Lizard Squad was quick to grab credit during the aftermath.
The suspect, arrested Friday in Southport, UK, is facing charges not only in connection to the attacks on December 25 but also for arranging instances of “SWATting.”
According to police, the investigation is still in its early stages though DCC Peter Goodman, National Policing Lead for Cyber Security at the Association of Police Officers had this to say:
“This arrest demonstrates that we will pursue those who commit crime with the false perception they are protected within their own homes or hiding behind anonymous online personas.”
What is SWATting?
To put it simply, SWATting is when someone provides false information to law enforcement officials in order to have a specific location swarmed by police SWAT teams.
“This arrest demonstrates that we will pursue those who commit crime with the false perception they are protected within their own homes or hiding behind anonymous online personas.”
Some people have claimed to do it for entertainment purposes while other have used it against celebrities, professional gamers, and random people for the sole purpose of potentially causing harm to an individual or property at a location.
In 2014 an incident of SWATting was actually caught on tape when gamer Jordan Mahewson, also known as Kootra, was SWATted while streaming a game of Counter Strike via Twitch.
No specifics have been released as of yet on the suspect’s charges though details will undoubtedly be released throughout the week.
