A hacker who claims to be behind the release of highly-sensitive telephone conversations on Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist hotline has said the alleged attack was "easy".
Known as TriCk, the leader of the hacking group TeaMp0isoN is a 17-year-old Muslim who has previously claimed to be British.
"It wasn't a hard hack at all," he said in an exclusive interview with the Huffington Post UK.
"It was actually easy, you just have to learn how phone systems work and learn the art of phreaking, which most so-called hackers these days don't even read about. Nor do they even know what phreaking is, except for the underground that is."
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation after the hacking group posted audio of a telephone conversation apparently between an MI6 officer and Trick
TeamPoison said they targeted counter-terrorism officers at MI6 with a barrage of phone calls for a period of 24 hours, with a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
PROFILE: TeamPoison Leader Trick Speaks To The Huffington Post
ALSO:Scotland Yard Investigates Alleged Hacking Into Anti-Terror Hotline
He went on: "It's not hard to learn either but most novices in the hacking scene would rather follow groups like Anonymous and pick up pre-made tools to perform attacks, which is not hacking at all."
TeamPoison is inspired by an anti-authoritarian, anti-US philosophy which was summed up in the released prank phone call, somewhat succinctly, as "knowledge is power".
"We didn't record all of it, they raged at times, but they obviously took it serious," he said of the call in which he apparently spoke to counter-terrorism officers.
"There's a older hacking quote 'don't learn to hack, hack to learn'," Trick said.
A statement by Scotland Yard said: "We are aware of an issue whereby telephone conversations relating to the anti-terror hotline were recorded.
"Officers are currently looking into the matter and appropriate action will be taken."