LulzSec’s Sabu Avoids Prison Following FBI Cooperation

Hector Monsegur, once known as Sabu, a prominent member of hacking collective LulzSec, has avoided prison time as his “extraordinary” cooperation with the FBI was recognised.

He was facing more than 20 years in prison, but following his assistance in identifying members of LulzSec and Anonymous, as well as helping to prevent upwards of 300 further cyber attacks, he was handed a sentence of a year’s supervision.

That was on top of a seven month sentence, which he had already served.

LulzSec ‘leader’ becomes FBI assistant

Monsegur, said to have been one of LulzSec’s leaders, assisted FBI cyber investigations over a three-year period. He faced physical and verbal abuse for his work with law enforcement, according to documents filed with the court, as did his family.

Loretta Preska, the chief judge of the federal district court for the southern district of New York, reportedly praised Monsegur’s efforts, saying he helped provide “sophisticated and complex assistance to the government allowing them to pierce the secrecy surrounding LulzSec and successfully prosecute its members”.

Some members of the hacker community have expressed their  dismay at Monsegur’s cooperation, saying he was a “traitor” and a “rat”.

Monsegur’s assistance was key to the prosecutions of other notable LulzSec members, including Jeremy Hammond, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and Jake Davis, the British youngster who was imprisoned in a young offenders institution but is now a free man.

On his own, Monsegur was said to have caused between $1 million and $2.5 million in damages, but he was involved in attacks said to have wrought up to $50 million.

What do you know about Internet security? Find out with our quiz!