The hacking group has released the ‘LizardStresser’ DDoS tool to help people overload websites and internet services, charging between $6 and $500 per attack

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Hacking group Lizard Squad spoiled Christmas for tens of millions of gamers with distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on Sony’s PlayStation Network and Microsoft’s Xbox Live. Now it’s helping others follow in its footsteps – for a price.

The group has launched a “booter” service called LizardStresser, which charges between $6 and $500 – paid for using the bitcoin cryptocurrency – to help people launch DDoS attacks on any website or internet service they choose.

“This booter is famous for taking down some of the world’s largest gaming networks such as Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Jagex, BattleNet, League of Legends and many more!” explains its website.

“With this stresser, you wield the power to launch some of the world’s largest denial of service attacks.”

Announced on 30 December by the group’s official Twitter account, LizardStresser’s highest level of attack promises 30,000 seconds – just over eight hours – for $129.99 a month or $500 for “lifetime” usage.

In an interview with Daily Dot, a representative of Lizard Squad claimed that the Christmas attacks on Sony and Microsoft had been “a huge marketing scheme” for the DDoS service.

“Playing games on a Twitter is fun, but it comes down to the money. The objective here, for me at least – can’t speak for others – is money.” He added that 25 people had paid to use LizardStresser within hours of its launch.

That contradicts interviews given by two members of the group over Christmas, during which they claimed that their motivations were amusement as well as highlighting the security weaknesses of the games networks.

After filesharing mogul Kim Dotcom offered the group free vouchers for his Mega service to call off the attacks, the same Twitter account promised that “we are no longer attacking PSN or XBL, nor are any members. We will not be attacking them in the future”.

Instead, the group is launching a DDoS service that could be used by other people to launch such attacks.

Seeking commercial gain is a risky move for Lizard Squad, however, with the FBI investigating its Christmas attacks, and security researcher Brian Krebs claiming to have identified two of its members already.

• PlayStation Network back online as Lizard hacker group basks in limelight

