Scattered Spider teens plead guilty to Transport for London cyberattack
Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers have admitted they carried out a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL), causing the transportation company £29 million in damages and affecting 10 million commuters.
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Two teenagers, Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers, have admitted carrying out the 2024 cyberattack on Transport for London after initially pleading not guilty.
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Authorities say the pair were linked to the cybercrime group Scattered Spider, which has been associated with several high-profile attacks.
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The breach exposed customer information, affected around 10 million commuters, forced 28,000 employees to reset passwords, and resulted in roughly £29 million in damages and recovery costs.
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Both defendants are due to be sentenced on July 16, with investigators describing the case as one of the most significant cybercrime investigations involving UK-based offenders.
In September 2024, TfL disclosed that it had been hit by a cyberattack.
During the attack, customer data was stolen, including full names, contact information, and postal addresses. Information about Oyster card refunds for 5,000 people, including account information, was also obtained.
Shortly after, Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers were arrested by the British authorities. The National Crime Agency (NCA) and City of London Police found out that both teenagers were members of a criminal organization called Scattered Spider.
Allegedly, they infiltrated TfL’s network, forcing all 28,000 employees to reset their passwords. Because of their unauthorized access, TfL suffered £29 million in loss and recovery costs.
Initially, both teens pleaded not guilty to hacking charges. However, earlier this week, they changed their pleas to guilty.
“Cybercrime may appear faceless and distant compared to other crime types, but the infiltration of TfL’s systems shows it has real-world consequences and impacts hugely on the public. The profile of offenders like Flowers and Jubair demonstrates the increasing threat from cybercriminals based in the UK and other English-speaking countries, epitomized by Scattered Spider,” Paul Foster, Deputy Director and Head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, says in a statement.
Nik Adams, Deputy Commissioner of the City of London Police, called the investigation into the cyberattack “lengthy and highly complex.”
“The cyberattack on Transport for London had a significant and far-reaching impact, causing major disruption and affecting the day-to-day operations of essential public services. Those who target critical organizations, cause substantial financial harm, and disrupt the daily lives of the public will not do so without consequence,” he added.
Jubair and Flowers are scheduled to be sentenced by the Woolwich Crown Court on July 16th.
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