Two Teenagers Charged Over Cyber Hack on Transport for London

Two teenage men have been charged in connection with a recent cyberattack that left Transport for London (TfL) battling months of disruption and tens of millions in losses. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the intrusion, which began on August 31, 2024, was linked to Scattered Spider, a cyber-criminal group it describes as an increasing threat.

The NCA said that 19-year-old Thalha Jubair from east London and 18-year-old Owen Flowers from Walsall were arrested at their home addresses by NCA and City of London Police officers. Significant disruption and millions in losses were caused by the hack, which was a major blow to TfL's operations.

Flowers was already on bail when the TfL hack took place. However, after his arrest, officers identified evidence that he had also targeted US healthcare companies for which he now faces additional charges. Jubair has been charged under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act for refusing to provide the passwords for devices seized from him.

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

Foster added that the NCA had warned earlier this year of an increase in the threat from cyber criminals based in the UK and other English-speaking countries, of which Scattered Spider is a clear example. The NCA, UK policing, and international partners are working together to identify offenders within these networks and ensure they face justice.

Both men have been remanded in custody and are due to appear in court in October. Hannah Von Dadelszen, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, said: "The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers with computer misuse and fraud related charges... Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings."

TfL welcomed the announcement by the National Crime Agency, saying: "We welcome this announcement by the National Crime Agency that two people have now been charged in relation to the cyber incident which impacted our operations last year."

Impact of the Hack

The hack forced TfL to write to 5,000 customers warning their bank details and personal information may have been exposed. While transport services continued, online platforms and digital information systems were shut down for months.

Trend of Teenage Cyber Attacks

Teenagers are increasingly behind major cyber attacks, including incidents targeting M&S, Co-op and Harrods, while others, some even younger, have been caught hacking their own schools. The NCA's warning about the increase in threat from cyber criminals is a stark reminder of the growing concern over online security.

Wayne Williams, TechRadar Pro freelancer, has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time, he wrote for most of the UK's PC magazines and launched, edited, and published several of them too.