It's confirmed: the FBI is hunting the Lizard Squad for the previous months' hack attacks. The group claimed responsibility for disrupting Microsoft and Sony's online services, also for infiltrating servers and pulling data, which was consequently leaked to the public. In latest news, the FBI confirms it is stepping up efforts to track and apprehend the culprits.
FBI's hunt for the Lizard Squad is highlight of recent news, with a new member identified and being tracked. The Lizard Squad controversy peaked in December 2014, with the group claiming ownership of threat to Sony. The message warned of dire consequences should James Franco and Seth Rogen's "The Interview" makes its way to theater screenings.
The FBI's official statement on the investigation was short, in a Gamesbeat report. "The FBI is investigating the matter. Given the pending nature of the case, we cannot comment further."
It's been confirmed the FBI has enlisted the expertise of the International Game Developers Association on matters of dealing with online harassment, given the series of threats released in previous months. IGDA Director Kate Edwards commented about the involvement in an interview with Polygon.
"What [the FBI] wanted from me was an interface for developers so they can share preventative measures they want to get out to us. We met, discussed the issue and said, 'Let's collaborate.'"
Both organizations aimed to set ground rules for dealing with online harassment. The collaboration also intends to encourage input from affected parties.
The games industry was one of the main targets of previous months' attacks, prompting an open letter from game developers, to the gaming community.
"If you see threats of violence or harm in comments on Steam, YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook or reddit, please take a minute to report them on the respective sites," the letter appealed.
"If you see hateful, harassing speech, take a public stand against it and make the gaming community a more enjoyable space to be in."
MWeb updated news on the FBI and Lizard Squad, with tweets of the latter's members on the agency's efforts. In spite of reported arrests, members of the Lizard Squad seem unfazed.
