Sony Hack Lands LulzSec Member in Jail

LulzSec hacker Cody Kretsigner has been sentenced to one year in prison for his role in the hacking of Sony Pictures' website. Following the completion of his prison term, the 25-year-old Kretsigner faces a period of home detention.

Kretsinger will also have to perform 1,000 hours of community service.

LulzSec is affiliated with the better-known hacking (or 'hacktivist') organization Anonymous. In recent years the group has taken credit for attacks on organizations in both the private and public sectors.

Kretsinger Stole, Shared Customer Data

LulzSec member Kretsigner, who also goes by the online name "Recursion," last year admitted to taking part in a July 2011 attack directed against Sony Pictures. (Source: reuters.com)

The Sony Pictures hack -- which should not be confused with a much larger and more damaging hack of Sony's PlayStation Network that same year -- involved attackers bypassing Sony website security and stealing sensitive customer information, including names, home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

In the days that followed, personal information related to about 50,000 Sony customers was posted online for the world to see. Eventually, this data was posted to both the LulzSec website and Twitter.

All in all, Sony says the hack caused more than $600,000 in damage.

UK, US Authorities Strike Back

An investigation of the crime led authorities to Kretsinger. During his trial, which unfolded in Los Angeles in 2012, Kretsinger admitted to participating in the attack and said he had given the stolen information to other members of the LulzSec group.

Kretsinger is hardly the only LulzSec member grabbing headlines in recent days. Last week British LulzSec recruit Ryan Ackroyd admitted to participating in attacks directed at the United Kingdom's Organized Crime Agency.

Ackroyd will be sentenced next month alongside three accomplices.

Kretsinger's sentence also comes after it was made known that LulzSec leader "Sabu" (aka Hector Xavier Monsegur) has been working with U.S. authorities to help find and arrest other members of the LulzSec organization. (Source: bbc.co.uk)