Must Read: Sorry, but bringing back the Start menu won't help Windows 8

Topic: Security

LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

Summary: Operation Anti-Security has officially begun with its first leak, and it's a doozy.

Stephen Chapman

By for Zero Day |

Update: Arizona police have stated the leaked documents appear to be authentic: "Spokesman Steve Harrison of the Arizona agency said the documents appeared to be authentic and said LulzSec most likely accessed them via the email accounts of eight officers." [Source]

LulzSec's "Operation Anti-Security" has officially kicked off with its first release, a day earlier than expected. LulzSec has posted the following press statement in regards to the leak:

We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement. We are targeting AZDPS specifically because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona.

The documents classified as "law enforcement sensitive", "not for public distribution", and "for official use only" are primarily related to border patrol and counter-terrorism operations and describe the use of informants to infiltrate various gangs, cartels, motorcycle clubs, Nazi groups, and protest movements.

Every week we plan on releasing more classified documents and embarassing personal details of military and law enforcement in an effort not just to reveal their racist and corrupt nature but to purposefully sabotage their efforts to terrorize communities fighting an unjust "war on drugs".

Hackers of the world are uniting and taking direct action against our common oppressors - the government, corporations, police, and militaries of the world. See you again real soon! ;D

Though I have not had a chance to dig deep into the information (in-depth analysis from ZDNet's finest is soon to come), what accompanies the press release is enough to see that the information is as bad as it sounds -- especially to the individuals who have had all of their personal credentials leaked for all the world to see. In one case, an officer's wife is identified along with her email address.

No one is spared in this release.

Still unclear at this point is how vast the reach of LulzSec goes, but this release shows that it doesn't particularly matter. With no names and no definitive numbers of people, there is no telling who all this group is comprised of; the perfect scenario for talented hackers looking to exploit behind anonymity in numbers.

Unfortunately, they have now proven they have the wherewithal to secure classified documents and personal information beyond that of what simple database exploits have yielded thus far. And this is just the beginning.

LulzSec has stated that there is more to come on Monday. Stay tuned and fasten your seat belts, because it's going to be a bumpy ride as the ante has just been upped considerably from simple DDoS attacks "for the lulz" to cause-driven releases.

-Stephen Chapman SEO Whistleblower

Topic: Security

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

77 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • They have just elevated themselves from hackers to targets

    and I would not be surprised in the least if some "random killings" are actually assasinations of LulzSec members as they are found.

    I wonder if they are truely worried, or do they believe that they can not be caught?
    :|
    Tim Cook
    Reply Vote

    • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

      @Mister Spock I hope that some AZ snitches will get the same treatment.
      Tommy S.
      Reply Vote

  • I would bankrupt each one

    Each caught member needs to go through two cases. They need a civil case so they can be sued so hard they're screwed for life. Then, they need a criminal case to put them away for a while. Hack them rocks into smaller rocks ;D
    Ghoas_t
    Reply Vote

  • Mark your calendars

    June 23, 2011 will be noted as the end of the 'cloud' fallacy. What corporation, government, or even slightly-paranoid individual is going to allow even a sliver of REAL content or data over the public Internet any longer. The next thing that will appear are a lot of front-end servers going down, not from these goofballs but from those who (even with nothing to hide) won't risk even a hair's breath of a chance their internal systems can be touched from the public cloud. Because as much as one would hope the pack of wolves (lawyers) would go after Lulzsec in reality it is the corporations, governments and their insurers who will take the hit first. This will be even uglier than Wikileaks could even get, and the risk get way too high. Oh well, at least we will have stupid teenage drinking binge videos and dancing cats!
    jwspicer
    Reply Vote

    • Once they come up with a way to trace the activities

      @jwspicer then the US government will be able to declare war on the terrorists, and use military force to end the problem. I have every confidence that the government will not allow itself to be brought down by any means without a very good fight. As history has shown, the US government and people have a tendency to prevail.
      sparkle farkle
      Reply Vote

      • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

        @sparkle farkle
        There currently exists, IFF the server pros and ISPs wished to, a way to track everythinig/everyone that posts anything on the 'net simply by mostly employing existing RFCs. Spam could be stopped with smple protocol enforcement, and the 'net side I'll leave to the imaginatioin of others' conjecture because I've only read, not experienced those issues.
        tom@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

        @sparkle farkle
        You are right! And hell will open up and swallow them whole. They will be toast before their nickers catch fire!!
        eargasm
        Reply Vote

    • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

      @jwspicer
      To a degree, maybe. But when you consider the lack of intelligence discovered in places like Sony and others w/r to security, it's not very encouraging to think that any but the most successful and intelligent companiies/people will even give a thought to things like that. Of the ones that have been exposed so far, nearly any kiddie could have cracked them wthout a lot of trouble.
      tom@...
      Reply Vote

      • a child can kill also

        @tom@... but we don't condone the killing because it's possible, and really don't tolerate any excuse for doing so. At this point they are beginning to reveal agents that are protecting the country from bad people. Anyone can wield a weapon, but because it's easy to use isn't an excuse. I recently saw an interview where the military said something to the effect "in cases where internet activity threatens US interests, that military action is an option."
        Openly attacking the CIA and law enforcement would come under that kind of blanket.
        sparkle farkle
        Reply Vote

  • Cheers

    The truth will be exposed; that is of the utmost importance. Has anyone died as a result of their actions? Isn't the harm they cause simply anecdotal? It is non-violent, indifferent to profit, and inevitable. Any company who loses market share from these attacks does so because of their own lack of due diligence in securing their systems, customer information, and their reputation. Protection of capitalism and its beneficiaries comes last in priority to justice. I think it is in a government's interest to spread fear - if only to pass more laws to maintain their illusion of control and righteousness - instead of being found in a position to answer to the people. If you cut off our freedom, so too will you be cut off from the right to rule us. The King's of the Earth, the owners of your debt, deserve to tremble.
    Vapur9
    Reply Vote

    • Spare us

      @Vapur9
      You don't appear to have a clue how many poor and innocent Mexicans are dying at the hands of the drug cartels that will be aided immensely by this action. This is the worst sort of youthful arrogance and stupidity. It is good intentions causing death and destruction for innocent people. May everyone involved rot in Hell.

      Did you know that the cartels are stopping buses on Mexican roads and forcing passengers to fight gladiator-like battles to the death, with the "winners" forced to serve at hit-men for the cartel? This is what LulzSec is helping with this action.
      Robert Hahn
      Reply Vote

      • That is our government's fault: Prohibition is the cause of crime

        @Robert Hahn

        Back in the era of prohibition, the unintended side effect of the law was that the price of booze went up, gangs became prevalent, and the profits reigned in from the increased prices were helping to purchase the guns being used for turf warfare. Once prohibition ended, the profit motive of these gangs disappeared and moved to other illicit activities. If anyone is to blame, it is the government and their attitude toward crime and prevention. Their continued advocacy for prohibition is the direct cause of crime, and the war on drugs will continue to fuel those flames.
        Vapur9
        Reply Vote

      • That is stupid

        The rum runners were still wrong to kill people. It wasn't the Government's fault that people decided to take the law into their own hands. Blaming the law for the violence is simply a person trying to not take any responsibility for their actions.

        That's a childish thing.
        Michael Alan Goff
        Reply Vote

      • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

        @Robert Hahn
        If LulzSec could get it so easily, don't you think the cartels already have it ?
        I think it is stupid to think otherwise.
        hkommedal
        Reply Vote

    • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

      Do you really think this is helping anybody? Aside from the Mexican cartels that are getting helped, the terrorists that will have the information, and various other violent people getting information, right?

      Nobody is hurt... aside from everyone. We're all put in danger by these idiots who think they're justice.
      Michael Alan Goff
      Reply Vote

      • =/

        @goff256

        Did they claim to be justice or were they simply doing it for the Lulz? And I partly understand the thought process involved in thinking that everyone is being hurt by these actions, because you maximize and exaggerate its impact to include yourself - even though not being personally affected - and imply that they are solely responsible for any future deaths. Violent people will continue to be violent so long as they declare their misguided loyalty to the highest bidder, regardless of what war is being fought. Any death from these leaks are unfortunate, but ultimately the current efforts to prevent them were futile anyway. A change needs to happen, but it obviously won't be one we hope for. What else can be done anyway?
        Vapur9
        Reply Vote

      • No, you underestimate

        Lives could be saved with the efforts of the police, the efforts that are being stopped through Lulzsec's efforts. And yes, they're saying they're doing it for more than lulz in their recent press release.

        Did you even read the article?

        Also, who are you to decide it was futile to try? Who is Lulzsec to decide this? Why do all of you assume you know better than people who study law enforcement for a career?
        Michael Alan Goff
        Reply Vote

      • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

        @goff256 Yeah... nothing shows Lulzsec's opposition to racism like REVEALING POLICE ATTEMPTS TO INFILTRATE NEONAZI WHITE SUPREMICIST GROUPS. Factor in that police don't MAKE the law such as the profiling issue and several law enforcement head honchos have spoken out AGAINST it, and this is beyond ridiculous. Perhaps this was the only place they could hack and they then made up their justifications after the fact.
        jgm@...
        Reply Vote

    • Not stupid

      goff256

      It's a very simple equation. Prohibition of a desired substance (and drugs *are* desired. It's stupid, but that's not the point) makes the cost go up. It also makes the profit margin rise--sharply.

      When you have an illegal substance that's in demand--be it alcohol or drugs--you have a market where the suppliers are criminals. And just like any prohibition, criminals that aren't reasonable.

      This is *exactly* why the drug cartels are dangerous. The laws make the profit margins so insane the ROI is worth murder and corrupting government officials (not that that is hard!) and all the rest.

      Legalize the drugs (treating them like cigarettes are today) and not only does the price plummet--gutting the money engine that drives the gangs--but the demand eventually will as well.

      After all, what's the percentage of smokers today vs what it was in the 70's?

      But of course the drug cartels will use part of their money to bribe Congress to insure the drug laws are never repealed.
      wolf_z
      Reply Vote

      • RE: LulzSec releases deluge of private Arizona law enforcement information

        So you're blaming the law for the criminals? That's the stupid part.
        Michael Alan Goff
        Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close