Disbanded hacker group, LulzSec's leader Sabu said, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's arrest prompted him to get involved with the hacker group Anonymous, in an interview with New Scientist. When I found out about what happened to Julian Assange, his arrest in the UK and so on, I found it absolutely absurd. So I got involved with Anonymous at that point, said Sabu.

This is the first time a key LulzSec member is giving a media interview shedding light on hackers' beliefs, and motives behind their operations.

Sabu identified himself as a man who believes in human rights and exposing abuse and corruption. He said he generally cared about people and their situations and that he tries his best to stay on top of current events.

Sabu said he is neither a cape-wearing hero nor a supervillain and added that he is only doing what he knows how to do, and that is counter abuse.

The LulzSec leader's first brush with hacktivism happened about 11 years back, when the US navy was using Vieques Island in Puerto Rico as a bombing range for exercises. There were lots of protests going on and I got involved in supporting the Puerto Rican government by disrupting communications. This whole situation was the first of its kind for the island and the people didn't expect things to go that route. Eventually, the US navy left Vieques, said Sabu.

While the group LulzSec gained notoriety for hacking into PBS and Sony sites, the leader said it was the Tunisian government attack that really inspired him. He claimed that it was the people of Tunisia who wanted to resist their oppressive government. The Tunisian regime was blocking access to any website that reported anti-Tunisian information, including Tunileaks, the Tunisian version of Wikileaks, and any news sites discussing them, said Sabu.

LulzSec mastermind said Tunisians offered help in infiltrating the prime minister's site and defacing it externally. When Tunisia filtered off its internet from the world, it was the Tunisians who came online using dial-up and literally allowed us to use their connections to tunnel through to re-deface the prime minister's websites. It was the most impressive thing I've seen: a revolution coinciding both physically and online. It was the first time I had proof that what Anonymous was doing was real and it was working.

Sabu observed LulzSec was seen as evil for exposing Sony and others, but claimed they motivated a giant to upgrade its security. He also claimed that, Everything we did had a duality: a lesson and some LOLs at the same time.

A hack compromising 50 of the biggest media publications online and distribution a fake mass news article designed to blend in on each outlet's site would cause some serious havoc, the master hacker said. I mean, we're talking about the potential of crashing stocks or spreading damaging rumors.

LulzSec's Operation AntiSec is meant to expose corruption, expose censorship, expose abuses Sabu proclaimed. Big multinational companies that have their hands in too much, that have too much power, and don't even take the time to secure your passwords and credit cards.

LulzSec boss said there is no win. There's just change and education. He said he isn't afraid of getting caught. I've passed the point of no return. I only hope that if I am stopped, the movement continues on the right path without me.

Via: Newscientist

Human rights Tunisia Fbi Puerto rico