Computer experts are trying to determine how an international group of hackers broke into the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s computers and downloaded and released hundreds of law-enforcement files, the Arizona Republic reports. The hacking group LulzSec, which has taken responsibility for breaching the websites of the CIA and the U.S. Senate, said it targeted Arizona because LulzSec opposes the controversial Arizona immigration-enforcement law. The law is largely on hold pending a review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The state files, posted on LulzSec’s website, include personal information about officers and numerous documents ranging from routine alerts from out-of-state police agencies to videos and photos about the hazards of police work and operations of drug gangs. The names of the files are as innocuous as “resume” and “evaluation form” and as provocative as “cartel leader threatens deadly force on U.S. police.” The group said the files were primarily related to U.S. Border Patrol and counterterrorism operations. The hackers vowed to release more classified documents each week as a way to embarrass authorities and sabotage their work.