Two teens plead not guilty to TFL cyberattack

Two teenagers pleaded not guilty to Transport for London's (TfL) computer hacking charges related to last year’s cyberattack, which compromised customer data and cost TfL millions in losses.

Owen Flowers, 18, and Thalha Jubair, 19, are charged with conspiring to commit unauthorised acts against Transport for London (TfL) under the Computer Misuse Act, according to The BBC.

Specifically, they’re accused of "causing, or creating a significant risk of, serious damage to human welfare and intending to cause such damage or being reckless as to whether such damage was caused."

Flowers is additionally charged with attempting to breach the computer systems of California-based Sutter Health and SSM Healthcare Corporation, while Jubair is also accused of failing to provide passwords for his devices that were seized from him by law enforcement officers.

Both teenagers pleaded not guilty to their hacking charges at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday. According to Sky News, they spoke only to confirm their names and enter not guilty pleas.

The trial is scheduled for 8th June 2026, with a pre-trial hearing on 13 February.

Earlier in September, British police arrested two teenagers suspected of being involved in last year’s cyberattack on TfL in what Deputy Director Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, described as a “key step” in a “lengthy and complex investigation.”

In September 2024, news broke that TfL suffered a cyberattack, which, as was later revealed, led to customer data being stolen, including full names, contact information, and postal addresses. TfL serves millions of Londoners daily through a vast network of its systems, such as surface, underground, and Crossrail.

According to prosecutors, the attack cost TfL £39m in damages and led to a “loss of livelihood” for people dependent on its services.

The attack is believed to have been orchestrated by a criminal group known as Scattered Spider.