Computer Hackers Admit CIA And Police Attacks

Two British computer hackers have admitted they were behind cyber attacks on the websites of the UK's Serious Organised Crime Squad, the CIA and NHS.

Ryan Cleary and Jake Davis, both part of a group of hackers calling itself LulzSec appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in London to enter guilty pleas to some of the charges brought against them.

Both Cleary, 19 from Lerwick, Shetland and Davis, 19, from Wickford, Essex pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to do an unauthorised act or acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, the operation of a computer or computers.

In a series of cyber attacks the duo also targeted News International, Sony, Nintendo, Arizona State Police, and film studio 20th Century Fox with so-called distributed denial of service (DDoS) strikes, which flood websites with traffic, causing them to crash.

Cleary and Davis, however, denied allegations they posted "unlawfully obtained confidential computer data" to public websites including LulzSec.com, Pirate Bay, and PasteBin, in order to encourage offences contrary to the Serious Crime Act.

It is believed they plotted to carry out the attacks with other unknown members of internet groups Anonymous, Internet Feds, and LulzSec.

The name Lulzsec is a combination of 'lulz' or 'lols', meaning 'laugh out loud' and security.

Cleary also confessed to four separate charges, including hacking into US Air Force Agency computers, based at the Pentagon.

All the offences are said to have taken place between February and September 2011.

Alleged co-hackers Ryan Ackroyd, 25, and an unnamed 17-year-old A-level student, from South London, deny their involvement in the DDoS attacks and will stand trial with Cleary and Davis on April 8, 2013.

The court heard it will take over 3,000 hours to view the material which has been served against Ackroyd alone.

All apart from Cleary were released on bail until trial next year.

It was reported last week that US prosecutors will not seek to extradite Cleary and will allow him to be sentenced by UK courts.