Lulzsec Claims to Have Stolen Entire 2011 Census
The last few months have been something of a hackfest. Following the Sony breaches that saw the personal details of 100 million people compromised, we’ve had more reports of hackings than ever before and it doesn't seem like it will let up anytime soon.
Today brings yet another story of a hack, this one regarding the 2011 census. Lulzsec, the hacking group that has been carrying out countless attacks over the last couple of months, this morning revealed its latest target. Though the group has a penchant for Sony, they’ve also targeted non-game related bodies, such as the NHS and the CIA, and today’s mark is the 2011 census database. In a post published to Pastebin, the group bragged about acquiring the 2011 census database and said it was busy reformatting everything for release.
Greetings Internets,
We have blissfully obtained records of every single citizen who gave their records to the security-illiterate UK government for the 2011 census
We're keeping them under lock and key though... so don't worry about your privacy (...until we finish re-formatting them for release)
Myself and the rest of my Lulz shipmates will then embark upon a trip to ThePirateBay with our beautiful records for your viewing pleasure!
Ahoy! Bwahahaha... >:]
Cap'n Pierre "Lulz" Dubois
The Office of National Statistics said it was currently investigating claims that the database had been stolen.
“We are aware of the suggestion that census data has been accessed. We are working with our security advisers and contractors to establish whether there is any substance to this,” the Telegraph cites the Office as saying. “The 2011 Census places the highest priority on maintaining the security of personal data. At this stage we have no evidence to suggest that any such compromise has occurred.”
In other Lulzsec news, a 19-year-old youth was arrested today in connection with the group. According to the Guardian, the man was arrested in Essex by specialist cyber crime officers from Soctland Yard. He is believed to be a member of Lulzsec and was arrested in connection with the DDoS attacks believed to have been carried out by the group.
"Officers from the Metropolitan police central e-crime unit (PCeU) have arrested a 19-year-old man in a pre-planned intelligence-led operation,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
"The arrest follows an investigation into network intrusions and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against a number of international business and intelligence agencies by what is believed to be the same hacking group."
He was arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act, and Fraud Act offences and is currently being questioned at a central London police station. Police say searches at a residential address in Wickford, Essex, "have led to the examination of a significant amount of material" and these forensic examinations are ongoing. The Metropolitan police were assisted by members of the Essex police force and the FBI.
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- LulzSec Denies Stealing UK Census Data
Do they actually have an agenda or are they just mongs?
Do they actually have an agenda or are they just mongs?
They've probably played too much Uplink.
What? Oh crap. Now everyone knows I'm a Jedi. My secrets no longer safe, damn you Lulzsec ;(
What confuses me is that these groups are supposedly fighting for internet freedom....
But wouldn't their action make internet a tighter place?
Thank you Jane for the interesting and somewhat worrying, article. No doubt many people will be worried over this and rightly so.
My friend was extremely cynical about this whole affair. They said that we simply do not know who is behind this, or their motive..all you've seen is their method and what we are told by the people claiming to be their victims. It could be just someone looking for a bit of publicity..not just hackers.
It just so happens that one the same day we read this article, we also read news of someone being arrested over alleged links to a hacking group. What a coincidence.
Perfect false flag material; you don't know the attacker, and we don't have to tell you who it is on the basis of national security interests. You just have to believe everything we say, like we always have done because we have always put your interests first and we have always told you the truth. Oh by the way, please give us and our friends over the pond a lot more money, and a lot more power..you never can be to safe and whilst there's always a threat, there's always a pay-check.
Well, I am not sure what to make of that view. All I know is that if this data is breached and it does get shared, then regardless of who is responsible there would be one hell of a storm over it. If it is some kind of ploy to shut-down the pirate bay (hey presto it's also been in the news recently, over controversial patent claims), then my guess is it would take a lot more than this to do it.
[off-topic] how about allowing selected regulars heavily restricted moderator powers, so they can quickly zap the spam messages whenever they come to read the tech news? [/off-topic]
I dunno whether the bloke they arrested was involved, but rumour has it he owned and ran the Encyclopaedia Dramatica IRC.
As for how they got the census, it was probably stored in plain text on the FBI/CIA website after the US feds got it from Lockheed Martin. Now anyone with a computer will be able to know that I consider my nationality to be "None of the above". Yes, I made my census answers as unhelpful as possible.
Edit: @wild9 I definitely agree with you on both the "National security" BS and about the need for trusted users to be given spam-fighting janitorial powers. The spam now outnumbers legit comments - come on Tom's this is getting ridiculous!
Totally agree on the anti-spam.
I make a point of lying outrageously on the census and all other surveys...
Oh noes, people could find out my religious preferences are the same as most peoples, and that i own my own home....the horror.
There is nothing important or particularly private in the census data. Otherwise I wouldn't have filled it in. The fact it gets tabulated for release anyway shows just how pathetic these morons are.
That is of course if they have even hacked it.