Hacking collective LulzSec has set its sights on banks as part of a new campaign, dubbed Operation Anti-Security. Meanwhile, the group has cast doubt on claims that a teenager arrested by UK police today is its "glorious leader" and denied hacking the country's census database.
In a statement, LulzSec says it is "declaring immediate and unremitting war on the freedom-snatching moderators of 2011" with its #AntiSec operation "so that our privacy is not overrun by profiteering gluttons".
"Top priority is to steal and leak any classified government information, including e-mail spools and documentation," says the group but banks are also "prime targets".
In recent weeks LulzSec has already hit Sony, Fox, the FBI and CIA and yesterday the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency, which was forced to take its site offline.
The Metropolitan Police Central e-Crime Unit has now arrested a 19-year-old man following an investigation into network intrusions and DDoS attacks against business and intelligence agencies. The Essex teenager has been named in the media as Ryan Cleary and linked to LulzSec.
However, in a tweet, the collective cast doubt on its connection to Cleary, saying: "Seems the glorious leader of LulzSec got arrested, it's all over now... wait... we're all still here! Which poor bastard did they take down?"
It also rubbished claims it has obtained UK census data, insisting "that wasn't us - don't believe fake LulzSec releases unless we put out a tweet first" before adding: "But hey, if someone out there hacked the UK government in the name of #AntiSec, well done sirs!"