The arrest took place following a joint operation by its Internet crimes unit and the FBI, the Metropolitan Police said.
Metropolitan Police have seized the teen's computer, but won't say if he's tied to the infamous Lulz Security hacking collective that claimed responsibility for similar high-profile attacks.
Lulz hackers recently called for war on governments that control the internet. They had boasted of successfully hacking Sony Corp. where more than 100 million user accounts were compromised, as well as the CIA web page and the U.S. Senate computer system.
Lulz said on Twitter that it used the arrested man's server, but that the man is not part of the group.
"Clearly the U.K. police are so desperate to catch us that they've gone and arrested someone who is, at best, mildly associated with us," it Tweeted.
Police declined to identify the suspect because he has not been charged with a crime. It remains unclear if the teenager in custody acted alone.
Although little is known about Lulz, hacker collectives are typically loose networks with diffuse supporters in more than one location, so an arrest could do little to bring down an organization and even encourage supporters to carry on a group's cause.
The Associated press contributed to this story
