A member of the notorious DDOS group Lizard Squad is now likely heading to prison. The group became infamous during an attack on the PSN and Xbox Live network in 2014. At that time, they shut down online gaming over Christmas.
It has been some time, but in 2014, a hacker group ruined online gaming for many players.
A group called Lizard Squad dominated the media for months with DDOS attacks on websites and companies. This was then commented live on Twitter.
The peak was reached at Christmas 2014 with the DDOS attack on the networks of Microsoft and Sony. This prevented millions of players from playing games like Destiny that were freshly under the Christmas tree.
Forced a plane to land with a bomb threat
But the group did not only hunt websites and online networks. They also targeted individuals. This led to a private feud with the head of Sony Online Entertainment, John Smedley. He was once on a plane that had to make an emergency landing because terrorists allegedly hid a bomb on the plane. Lizard Squad was apparently behind this.
Later, DDOS attacks targeted the games of Smedley’s company Daybreak Games. Smedley eventually stepped down from his position there.
Allegedly, Lizard Squad saw itself as “hackers for hire.” As reported by the Chicago Tribune, one could purchase an attack for 20 US dollars. The target person was then harassed and bothered. People were said to have received phone calls every hour, with a tirade of profanity on the other end waiting for the victim.
Two and a half years in prison if he cooperates
Now one of the founding members of Lizard Squad has been convicted. He pleaded guilty in a case of “conspiracy to cause damage to protected computers” – for that, there is a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The man is likely to only serve two and a half years in prison, provided he cooperates. This was announced by the prosecution. Part of the agreement also includes that he pays 350,000 US dollars to two US online gambling companies whose customers were victims of Lizard Squad’s actions.
The 20-year-old was arrested in October 2016 for a large number of cyber attacks that spanned over two and a half years. Until now, he was able to live with his mother. That will likely change soon. His sentence is expected to be announced only when it is ensured that he cooperates.
In 2015, a member of the group was already in court in Finland but received only a mild sentence. The then 17-year-old received two years probation and restrictions on his internet activities. This enraged his victim, John Smedley, terribly at the time.
More about the Smedley case:
Smedley’s resignation: Another one bitten away – a commentary
