The hacker group Lulz Security (aka LulzSec) has said goodbye to its life of shady online antics. This Saturday, the anonymous organization (not to be confused with the Anonymous organization...or so we're told) uploaded a farewell letter to The Pirate Bay file sharing site confirming its metaphoric ship has sailed, reflecting, “It’s time to say bon voyage. Our planned 50 day cruise has expired, and we must now sail into the distance, leaving behind - we hope - inspiration, fear, denial, happiness, approval, disapproval, mockery, embarrassment, thoughtfulness, jealousy, hate, even love.”
The message (which has been reprinted in full at theNew York Times) included obscure comparisons to Hitler and Obama, and altruistic explanations as to why the groupembarked on a 50-day reign of online terror against the likes of Sony, Nintendo, the CIA, US Senate, Arizona Department of Public Security and a slew of other targets, stating:
“For the past 50 days we’ve been disrupting and exposing corporations, governments, often the general population itself, and quite possibly everything in between, just because we could. All to selflessly entertain others — vanity, fame, recognition, all of these things are shadowed by our desire for that which we all love. The raw, uninterrupted, chaotic thrill of entertainment and anarchy. It’s what we all crave, even the seemingly lifeless politicians and emotionless, middle-aged self-titled failures.”
Not one to exit quietly, LulzSec signed off by releasing a fresh batch of private corporate data belonging to AT&T, NATO, an overseas detective agency and a handful of other organizations.
Regardless of its stated intentions, some believe LulzSec's departure is more of a play for self-preservation than a planned exit. Last week, 19-year-old British hackerRyan Cleary was arrestedin connection with LulzSec activity, putting British police and F.B.I closer to unravelling the identities of the group's members. LulzSec's recent action (or perhaps the brazen self-promotion of its recent actions) has also earned it the ire of rival hackers, includingOn3iroi, who successfully scuttledlulzsecurity.comfor a brief time on Friday. That same day, another group by the name of TeaMp0ison issued a warning to LulzSec, telling Fox News, “We're here to show the world that they're nothing but a bunch of script kiddies. We're going to let them do what they do. Then we're going to do what we do...We're going to hit them hard.”
Suddenly “sailing away” sounds more like “getting the hell out while they still can” . Are you upset to see them go, or have you had enough of The Lulz?
June 27, 2011
[Source:New York Times/PC World]
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