LulzSec strikes again: US cybersecurity website hacked

Company issued $US10,000 hack challenge, group posts 'keep your money'

Hacker group, LulzSec, have made headlines again after responding to a hacking competition by US cybersecurity company, Black & Berg Cybersecurity Consulting.

The group, who claimed responsibility for the attacks on both Sony Pictures and Nintendo servers, answered to Black & Berg's challenge of changing an image on their website's homepage, with the first successful person to be rewarded $US10,000 and a position with the company's senior cybersecurity advisor Joseph Black.

LulzSec, whose name is derived from the online term laugh out loud (LOL), changed the company's homepage image to their Twitter logo and wrote, "Done, that was easy. Keep your money we do it for the lulz".

Black responded to the hack on Twitter by posting, "Wait, we do have a comment. Please unf**k our website. Thank you. ~ Joe." But after LulzSec contacted him, he praised their efforts by referring to the group as "ninjas": "We're not sure what happened, we're looking into it. It seemed whoever is responsible was very good at covering their tracks. #ninjas".

The group has come under fire from some quarters of the security industry for being dangerous publicity seekers, and have been told to "grow up".

Sophos' Asia Pacific head of technology, Paul Ducklin, told Computerworld Australia that LulzSec needed to grow up and stop acting like kids.

"They claim to say they love Nintendo and they hack for them," Ducklin said earlier this week. "They've got a little bit up themselves with this hacking, so who can say who will be next?

"Cybercriminals generally don't care. They will go after anyone who is vulnerable and the weaker you are, the more likely they are to do something bad to you."

Got a security tip-off? Contact Hamish Barwick at hamish_barwick at idg.com.au

Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick

Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU

Tags LulzsechackingsBlack & Berg Cybersecurity Consulting

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