Man arrested for Playstation and Xbox attacks

Officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) Cyber Crime Unit, supported by Titan ROCU (North West Regional Organised Crime Unit), have arrested a man as part of an investigation into swatting and computer hacking offenses.

SEROCU, supported by the National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), worked closely with the FBI on the operation which focused on the denial of service attack of Sony Playstation and Xbox systems in 2014 and “swatting’ offenses.

An 18-year-old man was arrested this morning in Southport on suspicion of unauthorized access to computer material contrary to section 1 of Computer Misuse Act 1990, unauthorized access with intent to commit further offenses contrary to section 2 of Computer Misuse Act 1990 and threats to kill contrary to Section 16 of Offenses against the person Act 1861.

A number of electronic and digital devices were seized to be examined.

Craig Jones, Head of the Cyber Crime Unit at SEROCU, said: “We are still at the early stages of the investigation and there is still much work to be done. We will continue to work closely with the FBI to identify those to who commit offenses and hold them to account.”

Swatting is a term used to describe criminal activity by an individual or group who knowingly provides false information to law enforcement agencies in the USA, suggesting that a threat exists at a particular location so that police respond with tactical units. Making false threats drains law enforcement resources and can cause significant distress or physical injury to first responders or victims.