Second Teenager Arrested in the Netherlands for Anonymous-Orchestrated DDoS

Dutch police have arrested another teenager accused of participating in pro-WikiLeaks DDoS attacks organized and carried out by members of the Anonymous group.

The 19-year-old suspect was picked up by authorities last Saturday afternoon from his home in Hoogezand-Sappemeer, Groningen, and is said to have participated in the attacks which disrupted the website of the Dutch attorney general’s office.

The website was attacked last Friday morning, together with that of the Dutch national police, following the reported arrest of a 16-year-old teenager from Hague believed to be one of the Operation Payback organizers.

Prosecutors did not name the newly detained teen, but noted that he operated online under the nickname of “Awinee.” Digging around on Google for that nickname leads to one Martijn Gonlag, 19, from Hoogezand-Sappemeer.

Authorities claim that the software he used to flood the prosecutors’ website with failed to hide his IP address . He is also believed to have participated in similar attacks against Moneybookers.com.

Officers from the Dutch police High Tech Crime Team seized his computer and are analyzing it. In the Netherlands, DDoS-related offenses can carry a maximum penalty of six years in jail.

The arrest sends a clear message to Anonymous members who believe that their large numbers will protect them from prosecution, as it’s unlikely for authorities to charge people en masse.

The previous arrest was said to have occurred because the targeted teenager was a high-ranking Anonymous member, in charge of infrastructure used by the group to coordinate attacks.

This new arrest, however, targets an individual that doesn’t seem to be more than a mere participant, who installed the Low Orbit Ion Canon (LOIC) software used by thousands of Anonymous supporters in their attacks.

“Even if you feel strongly that WikiLeaks is being persecuted or abandoned by online companies think very carefully before volunteering your PC and engaging in a DDoS attack. After all, it could be that the police are knocking on your door next,” warns Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.