Detective Inspector Michael O'Sullivan from the City of London Police said: "The City of London Police has been investigating with its partners into members of a hacking group. Seven people between the ages of 16 and 21 have been arrested in connection with this investigation and have all been released under investigation. Our enquiries remain ongoing."

The arrests followed a report that an Oxford teenager who was supposed to be the mastermind of the group had been identified by rival hackers. Four researchers investigating the gang's recent hacks said they believed the 16-year-old, who uses the online moniker "White" or "Breachbase."

At least one member of Lapsus$ was also apparently involved with a recent data breach at Electronic Arts and another is suspected to be a teenager residing in Brazil. The latter is said to be so capable of hacking that researchers first believed that the activity they were witnessing was automated.

Researchers' ability to track the suspected Lapsus$ members may be because the group, which now has more than 45,000 subscribers to its Telegram channel where it frequently recruits insiders and leaks victims' data, does little to cover its tracks.

Writing in its blog, Microsoft said the group uses brazen tactics to gain initial access to a target organisation, which has included publicly recruiting company insiders. As reported by Bloomberg this week, the group has even gone as far as to join the Zoom calls of companies they've breached and taunted employees trying to clean up their hack.