Jake Davis, aka LulzSec's 'Topiary', on how the group formed - and broke up

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/09/jake-davis-topiary-lulzsec-answers

By Charles Arthur
theguardian.com
September 9, 2013

Jake Davis, who as "Topiary" in the hacking crew LulzSec was involved in 
breakins to a number of websites culminating in a hack of the Sun's news 
site - and subsequently sentenced to serve time in a young offenders' 
institution - says his intention was only to prompt debate about how 
marketing and mass use had overtaken internet security.

In a series of answers on the Ask.fm website, Davis has been responding to 
questions from users about his involvement with the notorious group, whose 
members received sentences varying from community service to a number of 
years in prison. ("Sabu", the New York-based Hector Xavier Monsegur, who 
acted as a ringleader for the group, has had his sentencing adjourned 
twice since January, as he is still believed to be acting as a witness for 
the FBI in a number of cases.)

Davis's responses are often laden with irony, sarcasm and wild invention, 
as befits someone who ran the social side - particularly the Twitter 
account - of LulzSec, which still has more than 330,000 followers but to 
which he says he no longer has access. He is also banned from using 
virtual machines, leaving the UK, or associating with former members of 
LulzSec until they have served their sentences.


Origins and purpose of LulzSec

Asked about the group's origins, Davis says: "I thought the idea of 
Anonymous at the time was the right idea and always saw LulzSec as a sort 
of pretty little firework that could sprinkle into nothing so that we 
could start focusing on the real issues, like the freedom of journalists, 
drone strikes, censorship, spying, etc., but that's not how the third 
party cookie crumbles. It's a strange one to answer in terms of the 
"difference" between the two "groups", it's all just separate tabs in the 
same window, if you can picture the concept. I just want accountability 
for the real shadowy criminals such as those at the NSA right now. 
Thankfully now we seem to be paying attention to people like Glenn 
Greenwald at a mainstream level and there's no need to wave the top hat 
and monocle [the symbol used for LulzSec's Twitter account and other 
communications] around any more."

[...]



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