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Games Hacker Arrest as UK, U.S. Plan Cyber Crime Action

British police arrested an alleged hacker in a joint operation with the FBI on Friday as the UK and U.S. prepared to unveil cyber security training including simulated attacks on Wall Street and the City.

The 18-year-old male suspect was detained in Southport, northwest England as part of an investigation into worldwide attacks on Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox gaming platforms over Christmas.

"We will continue to work closely with the FBI," Craig Jones, head of the cyber crime unit at the South East Regional Organized Crime Unit (SEROCU), said in a statement.

"This investigation is a good example of joint law enforcement cooperation in relation to a type of criminality that is not restricted by any geographical boundaries," he said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron was on a visit to Washington this week, where he commented on the strengthening partnership to battle cyber crime.

"We're taking our cooperation with the U.S. to an unprecedented level," Cameron said ahead of talks with U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday.

"The joint exercises and training of our next generation of cyber experts will help to ensure that we have the capability we need to protect critical sectors like our energy, transport and financial infrastructure from emerging threats," he said.

British media reported that the exercises would begin later this year with simulations in the British and U.S. financial centers.

There will also be joint training for "cyber agents", including a new Fulbright Cyber Security Award to further researchers in their work, the reports said.

"This is an evolving threat which poses a real risk to our businesses and that's why we're taking our cooperation with the U.S. to an unprecedented level," Cameron said.

"This is about pooling our effort so we stay one step ahead of those who seek to attack us."

Source: Agence France Presse


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