Hackers claim attack on another FBI partner organization, 1,000 accounts hit

HARTFORD, Conn. – Internet hackers who claimed responsibility for attacks at Sony Corp. and the CIA said they compromised the security of more than 1,000 accounts of a Connecticut-based FBI partner organization.

The online collective Lulz Security said it attacked a local section of InfraGard, a partnership between the FBI and the private sector to share security information. Connecticut InfraGard’s website was down Monday afternoon.

FBI spokeswoman Jenny Shearer in Washington said the agency was aware of the attack and that the website had been shut down as a precaution. She declined to comment on the extent of any damage.

Lulz said in a Twitter posting Sunday night that its Connecticut attack had “compromised 1000+ FBI-affiliated members.” The group said in its postings that it would not leak the user information but would embarrass the FBI with “simple hacks.”

InfraGard is an association of businesses, academic institutions and law enforcement agencies dedicated to sharing information to prevent hostile acts against the United States, according to its website. Business representatives who participate get access to security information from government sources such as the FBI and Department of Homeland Security and can participate in discussions with others in the IT-security field.

Earlier this month, the Atlanta chapter of InfraGard said hackers stole 180 passwords from its members and leaked them to the Internet. Lulz also claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it was a response to a report that the Pentagon was considering whether to classify types of cyberattacks as acts of war.

Lulz has taken credit for hacking into the PlayStation Network of Sony Corp., where more than 100 million user accounts were compromised, and defacing the PBS website after it aired a documentary seen as critical of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The hackers also say they are responsible for attacks on the CIA webpage and the U.S. Senate computer system.