A teenager in Merseyside, U.K. has been arrested as part of the on-going investigation into the cyber attacks on PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE over the Christmas holiday period.
According to Skynews, the suspect, aged 18 years, was arrested by a joint British and FBI-lead operation at Southport on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material.
In addition, South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) said the teenager was also detained for alleged threats to kill.
"This arrest demonstrates that we will pursue those who commit crime with the false perception they are protected within their own homes or hiding behind anonymous online personas,” commented Deputy Chief Constable, Peter Goodman.
Officers at the scene of Boundary Street, Southport, are also believed to have seized a number of items from the suspect’s residence, including digital and electronic devices.
"We are pursuing cyber criminals using the latest technology and working with businesses and academia to further develop specialist investigative capabilities to protect and reduce the risk to the public,” said SEROCU’s cyber crime unit boss, Craig Jones.
"Cyber crime is an issue which has no boundaries and affects people on a local, regional and global level."
PSN was thrown into chaos over the festive period, resulting in downtime that left millions of customers unable to access PlayStation Network to game online among other activities.
The notorious hacking group, Lizard Squad, later claimed responsibility for the cyber attacks that also hit Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service during the same period.