UK man arrested in Sony PlayStation hack

Authorities have arrested a U.K. man for the cyberattack that brought down the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox networks over Christmas, according to multiple reports.

U.K. officials worked with the FBI on the investigation and arrest.

{mosads}”This investigation is a good example of joint law enforcement co-operation in relation to a type of criminality that is not restricted by any geographical boundaries,” said Craig Jones, head of the Cyber Crime Unit at England’s South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, BBC reported.

On Dec. 25, hackers overwhelmed the online PlayStation and Xbox networks with traffic, forcing them both offline. The hacker activist group Lizard Squad claimed responsibility for the incident, which kept the systems down for several days.

The same group had previously taken credit for digital attacks on the PlayStation Network in August 2014 and as far back as 2011.

Authorities on Friday arrested an 18-year-old near Liverpool, England and accused the man of being part of the recent digital assault. He is accused of accessing computer networks without authorization and knowingly lying to law enforcement agencies.

“We are still at the early stages of the investigation and there is still much work to be done,” Jones said. “We will continue to work closely with the FBI to identify those who commit offences and hold them to account.”

Sony has been battling cyber criminals the last few months. Its movie studio, Sony Pictures Entertainment, was hit by a destructive digital attack the U.S. blamed on North Korea. 

British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Obama met Friday to discuss the threat of cyberattacks. The two countries have agreed to wage a fake “cyber war” against each other to test the resiliency of different sectors’ cyber defenses.