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UNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURTSOUTHERNDISTRICTOFNEWYORK
-x
UNITEDSTATESOFAMERICAINFORMATION
-v.
11Cr.HECTORXAVIERMONSEGURra/k/a"Sabur
11
a/k/a"XavierDeLeonr
ll
a/k/a"Leori,
II
Defendant.
------------------x
COUNTONE
(ConspiracytoEngageinComputerHacking--Anonymous)
TheUnitedStatesAttorneycharges:THEDEFENDANT
1.
AtalltimesrelevanttothisInformationrHECTORXAVIERMONSEGURra/k/a"Sabur
II
a/k/a"XavierDeLeon,
n
a/k/a"Leonr
ll
thedefendantrwasanexperiencedcomputerhackerwhoresidedin
NewYorkr
NewYork.AtvarioustimesrelevanttothisInformationrMONSEGURwasaninfluentialmemberofthreehackerorganizationsAnonymousrInternetFedsrandLulzSecurity(alsoknownas"LulzSec
ll)--
thatwereresponsibleformultiplecyberattacksonthecomputersystemsofvariousbusinessesandgovernmentsintheUnitedStatesandthroughouttheworld.2.AtalltimesrelevanttothisInformationrMONSEGURrsprimaryareaofexpertiseandroleinhacker
organizationswastoactasa"rooter,"thatis,acomputerhackerwhoidentifiedvulnerabilitiesinthecomputersystemsofpotentialvictimstobeexploitedforthepurposeofgainingunauthorizedaccesstothesystems.Upondiscoveringthesevulnerabilities,MONSEGUReitherpassedinformationregardingthemtootherhackers{whosoughttoexploitthem,orMONSEGURexploitedthevulnerabilitieshimself.MONSEGURalsoprovidedinfrastructuresupporttomembersofhackerorganizations,thatis,unauthorizedaccesstocomputerserversandroutersthatothersCouldusetolaunchcyberattacksonvictims.BACKGROUNDONANONYMOUS3.AtalltimesrelevanttothisInformation,"Anonymous"wasacollectiveofcomputerhackersandotherindividualslocatedintheUnitedStatesandelsewherethatundertook"operations"includedcyberattacksthatis,coordinatedeffortsthatagainstindividualsandentitiesthatwereperceivedtobehostiletoAnonymousanditsmembers'interests.Theseattacksincluded,amongotherthings,thetheftandlaterdisseminationofconfidentialinformationfromcomputersystemsandthedefacementofInternetwebsites.Theseattacksalsoincludedattacksagainstwebsites,knownas"denialofservice"or"DoS"attacks,whichinvolvedtheuseofalargenumberofcomputerstobombardavictim'swebsitewithbogus
2
requestsforinformation,causingthewebsitetotemporarilyceasefunctioning.4.AtalltimesrelevanttothisInformation,themembersofAnonymous,throughtheircyberattacks,soughttosupport,amongothercauses,Wikileaks,aninternationalnon-profitorganizationthatpublishedotherwiseunavailabledocumentsfromanonymoussourceSiandJulianAssange,whowasthefounderofWikileaks.THEDEFENDANT'SCOMPUTERHACKINGASPARTOFANONYMOUS5.FrominoraboutDecember2010,uptoandincludingonoraboutJune7,2011,HECTORXAVIERMONSEGUR,a/k/a"Sabu,"a/k/a"XavierDeLeon,"a/k/a"Leon,"thedefendant,participatedinseveralcyberattacksaspartofAnonymous,includingthefollowing,amongothers:DoSAttacksonVisa,MasterCardandPayPala.InoraboutDecember2010,MONSEGURbrieflyparticipatedin"OperationPayback,
II
inwhichmembersofAnonymouslaunchedDoSattacksagainstthewebsitesofthecreditcardcompaniesVisaandMasterCardandtheonlinepaymentservicePayPal,withtheintenttodisrupttheoperationofthosecompanies'websites.ThemembersofAnonymousintendedOperationPaybacktoserveasretaliationfortherefusalofVisa,MasterCard,andPayPaltoprocessdonationstoWikileaks.
3