LulzSec Reborn? Not Likely, Says F-Secure

Earlier this month the FBI arrested core members of hacking group LulzSec using intelligence gained by interrogating "Sabu", the group's nominal leader. That seemed like the end of the LulzSec story, until a group calling itself "LulzSec Reborn" surfaced this week with a new collection of hacks. F-Secure's Chief Research Office Mikko Hypponen strongly doubts this is the same group, as does the company's Security Advisor, Sean Sullivan.

"It's highly unlikely there's even a single guy in the new LulzSec who would have been in the original LulzSec," said Hypponen. "For all we know, LulzSec 2.0 could be one guy in his basement who came up with a clever idea of calling himself the new LulzSec." Sullivan agrees, stating, "If LulzSec is back, they're different hackers, as all of the original LulzSec members have been identified."

LulzSec or AntiSec?
Asked about a promise by Anonymous to revive LulzSec, Sullivan pointed out that the actual promise from Anonymous involved Operation AntiSec in general, not specifically LulzSec. As for actually re-launching LulzSec, Sullivan said, "I’m very skeptical that it will work. The hacker community has grown even more ideological in the last year and hacking for 'Lulz' just doesn’t seem like something that can be coordinated or driven in the same way that 'AntiSec' was."

Of the alleged LulzSec Reborn, Sullivan opined, "The LulzSec brand was a historical one-off and this latest group of actors has yet to demonstrate any original ideas. So far they are just copycats, and that won’t take them very far." Actually getting existing members back together could even be dangerous, noted Sullivan. "They certainly know they can't trust one another at this point for fear that anybody could be FBI."

What the Future Holds

Hacking isn't going away. "There will always be attackers," said Hypponen. "Some of them are motivated by money, but that's not the case here. These guys want to hack for whatever reason and will find a reason to justify what they are doing."

However, big-time hacking just "for the lulz" will end eventually. "The first thing that will improve the situation is an improved economy," said Sullivan. "Better job opportunities will have an effect on the “talent pool” for this sort of thing. Another thing that will change the situation is law enforcement. As more and more Lulz/Anon hackers are arrested and sentenced it will seem less and less worth it to those involved."

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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