AntiSec, the hacker group made of members from Anonymous and LulzSec, said Saturday that it has hacked more than 70 law enforcement agency websites in the U.S. in retaliation of recent arrests of alleged AntiSec members in the U.S. and the U.K.
The group, which has previously lodged attacks against law enforcement in Arizona, also said it was able to access 10 gigabytes of emails, credit card details and other sensitive data from the agencies.
And in a move that will infuriate law enforcement further, AntiSec called this cyber attack
"ShootingSheriffsSaturday."
"A week after we defaced and destroyed the websites of over 70 law enforcement agencies, we are releasing a massive amount of confidential information that is sure to embarass, discredit and incriminate police officers across the US," AntiSec said in a statement posted on the website PasteBin, which has become a favorite place for the hackers to post the information they've stolen.
"Over 10GB of information was leaked including hundreds of private email spools, password information, address and social security numbers, credit card numbers, snitch information, training files, and more. We hope that not only will dropping this info demonstrate the inherently corrupt nature of law enforcement using their own words, as well as result in possibly humiliation, firings, and possible charges against several officers, but that it will also disrupt and sabotage their ability to communicate and terrorize communities."
Many of the agencies had no immediate comment on the hackings, while others expressed confusion as to what information was hacked.
In Mississippi, the Tunica County Sheriff's office was aware that their website was down, but did not know much beyond that, said Lt. Persundra Jones
“We don’t what’s really going on,” Jones said. “We have no idea.”
In Tishomingo County, sheriff’s officials alerted the FBI and the company that oversees the website, who promptly shut it down, said dispatcher Edric Parish.
AntiSec said in its statement that it was "doing this in solidarity with Topiary and the Anonymous PayPal LOIC defendants as well as all other political prisoners who are facing the gun of the crooked court system. We stand in support of all those who struggle against the injustices of the state and capitalism using whatever tactics are most effective, even if that means breaking their laws in order to expose their corruption.
"You may bust a few of us, but we greatly outnumber you, and you can never stop us from continuing to destroy your systems and leak your data."
The most recent arrest of suspected hackers affiliated with Anonymous and LulzSec, was that of 18-year-old Jake Davis. England's Metropolitan Police Service, better known as Scotland Yard, has said it believes Davis is the
"Topiary," a hacker who has acted as a spokesman for the groups.
Davis was released on bail Monday, but a London court ordered that he be prohibited from using the Internet.
"We have no sympathy for any of the officers or informants who may be endangered by the release of their personal information," AntiSec said in its statement. "For too long they have been using and abusing our personal information, spying on us, arresting us, beating us, and thinking that they can get away with oppressing us in secrecy. Well it's retribution time: we want them to experience just a taste of the kind of misery and suffering they inflict upon us on an everyday basis. Let this serve as a warning to would-be snitches and pigs that your leaders can no longer protect you: give up and turn on your masters now before it's too late."
In a bit of a departure from the Arizona-targeted cyber attacks, the law enforcement agencies AntiSec says it hacked were mainly in the central and southern parts of the U.S., including agencies in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi.
