Six British teenagers have been released on bail, accused of using Lizard Squad’s tool to hack websites and services. The teenagers are alleged of starting cyber attacks against such targets as national newspaper, school, gaming companies and online retailers.

The suspects are aged between 15 and 18 and were arrested by British police during an operation targeting alleged users of Lizard Stresser, which bombards websites and services with bogus traffic in DDoS attack, thus preventing real visitors from reaching the website. These tools have been used to cause both financial and reputational damage to many victims. The attacks can last many days, usually using infected computers or routers of innocent users.

It should be mentioned that this tool was used effectively by Lizard Squad to target Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network in December 2014. The Lizard Stresser tool is positioned as a “DDoS for hire” instrument, which can be paid for to target whoever you want. The UK police confirmed that 6 people arrested are suspected of maliciously using this tool and paying for it using Bitcoin. However, the teenagers are not accused of being members of the famous hacking group.

The teenagers were arrested as part of an operation called Vivarium, involving officers from several police forces. All 6 male teenagers have been bailed, while a further two 18-year-olds were interviewed under caution. As part of operation Vivarium, the police are also visiting about 50 addresses linked to individuals registered on the Lizard Stresser website, in order to warn them that using such tools is illegal, can cause financial damage and severe restrictions on their freedom.

The UK police explained that one of their key priorities was to engage with those on the fringes of cyber criminality and help them understand the consequences of cyber crime. The police officers are trying to tell the suspects how they can channel their abilities into legitimate careers.

It should also be mentioned that the British police arrested one Lizard Squad member last December for their involvement in cyber attacks, and another member was arrested in May for pranking armed police. The problem is that the Lizard Squad’s hacking instruments remain available, despite its site being hacked revealing customers’ details.