Tweeting hacker group Lulz Security has poured scorn on reports that it hacked the UK Office of National Statistics' massive 2011 census database. Tweeting hacker group Lulz Security has poured scorn on reports that it hacked the UK Office of National Statistics’ massive 2011 census database.Only hours after a teen accused of being a member of the group was arrested in Essex, the group’s Twitter feed sprang into life once more after a period of silence to deny any involvement.“Just saw the pastebin of the UK census hack. That wasn’t us – don’t believe fake LulzSec releases unless we put out a tweet first,” read a tweet referring to the open forum where the claim was first publicised.“Anyone in the world can copy and paste The Lulz Boat ASCII art and general lighthearted theme. Smarten up, check the feed first,” read post soon after. Some in the security community were sceptical about the story. The UK census – a once per decade questionnaire filled in by every UK household – was conducted only a few weeks ago and would be unlikely to exist as a single hackable entity. A sizable part of the database will only exist in the form of yet-to-be-processed paper forms. Processing this data is known to take years.It might also have been logical to release a portion of the data from the outset to prove the hack’s existence. Security analysts have busied themselves speculating about the identity of the group that is becoming as famous for its chatty ‘Captain Jack Sparrow piracy theme’ as its growing list of nuisance DDoS attacks on prominent websites.One security blog reckons that the group has at least seven active members, being a spin-off from the recently silent Anonymous hacking collective. The favoured form of attack is to exploit one or more software vulnerabilities. None of this is new. Unlike criminals, however, LulzSec draws attention to its actions. Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe