It’s been a tough couple of weeks in hactivist circles, as law enforcement officials announced Tuesday that six hackers affiliated with the Anonymous spinoff group LulzSec — including “ringleader” Hector Xavier Monsegur — have been busted. Monsegur apparently switched teams to help the FBI after he was apprehended last summer, according to The Associated Press.

AP via Google News:

Monsegur was portrayed in court papers as the ringleader, a legendary figure known in the hacking underworld as “Sabu.” Authorities said he formed an elite hacking organization last May and named it “Lulz Security” or “LulzSec.” ”Lulz” is Internet slang that can be interpreted as “laughs,” ”humor” or “amusement.”

Despite the organization’s lighthearted name, authorities said Monsegur and his followers embarked on a dastardly stream of deeds against business and government entities in the U.S. and around the world, resulting in the theft of confidential information, the defacing of websites and attacks that temporarily put victims out of business.

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