Teenagers Charged Over Massive Transport for London Cyber Attack

Two teenagers have been charged in connection with a massive cyber attack that caused widespread disruption to Transport for London (TfL) services for three months. The National Crime Agency (NCA) believes the hack, which began on August 31 last year, was carried out by members of the notorious cyber-criminal group, Scattered Spider.

Thalha Jubair, 19, from east London, and Owen Flowers, 18, from Walsall in the West Midlands, were arrested at their home addresses by the NCA and City of London Police on Tuesday. Both appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon to face charges under the Computer Misuse Act.

The teenagers have been remanded in custody to appear at Southwark Crown Court at a later date. The NCA says it believes the hack caused significant disruption and millions in losses to TfL, which was forced to report 25,000 staff members into offices around the capital for identity verification as part of its recovery operation.

The cyber attack disrupted many online services and connected information boards at TfL, while trains, buses, and other transport remained unaffected. However, the hack did cause £39m in damage and disruption to TfL's operations. In addition, data including names, emails, and home addresses were accessed by hackers.

Deputy Director Paul Foster of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit said: "Today's charges are a key step in what has been a lengthy and complex investigation. This attack caused significant disruption and millions in losses to TfL, part of the UK's critical national infrastructure."

The court heard that the TfL hack occurred while Owen Flowers was on bail. After his arrest, detectives found evidence he had also targeted US healthcare companies. Flowers has been charged with conspiring, along with others, to infiltrate and damage the networks of SSM Health Care Corporation and attempting to do the same to Sutter Health.

When Flowers appeared in court, he wore a grey hoodie with "off the grid" written on it. Thalha Jubair sat next to him, wearing a black hoodie and black glasses. Neither man spoke to each other during the proceedings.

TfL welcomed the announcement by the National Crime Agency that two people have now been charged in relation to the cyber incident which impacted their operations last year. The NCA had earlier warned of an increasing threat from cyber criminal gangs based in the UK and other English-speaking countries, such as Scattered Spider.

The Investigation

The NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit has been investigating the cyber attack since it began on August 31 last year. The investigation was complex and lengthy, involving multiple agencies and experts to track down the source of the hack.

The court heard that Flowers had targeted US healthcare companies while he was on bail. This adds a new layer to the investigation, which is believed to be ongoing.

The Impact

The cyber attack caused significant disruption to TfL's services for three months. Many online services and connected information boards were affected, causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers. The hack also raised concerns about the security of personal data, as hackers accessed names, emails, and home addresses.

TfL reported that 25,000 staff members were forced to report into offices around the capital for identity verification as part of its recovery operation. This was a major disruption to the transport network, but trains, buses, and other transport services remained unaffected.

The Charges

Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers have been charged with conspiring together to commit unauthorised acts against TfL under the Computer Misuse Act. The charges are a key step in the investigation, which is ongoing.

The NCA says it believes that the two teenagers were involved in the hack, but it is not clear whether they acted alone or as part of a larger group. The investigation is still ongoing, and more arrests are expected.