Teenagers plead not guilty to London transport cyber attack

6 hours ago 1

Two teenagers person pleaded not blameworthy successful transportation with a cyber onslaught connected Transport for London which outgo millions of pounds.

Investigators judge the "network intrusion" successful summertime 2024 was carried retired by the online transgression radical known arsenic Scattered Spider.

Thalha Jubair, 19, from eastbound London, and Owen Flowers, 18, from Walsall successful the West Midlands, were arrested astatine their homes successful September.

They were detained arsenic portion of an cognition by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and City of London Police.

Both person appeared earlier Southwark Crown Court and entered not blameworthy pleas to charges of conspiring unneurotic to perpetrate unauthorised acts against Transport for London (TfL).

They stood successful the dock unneurotic and spoke lone to corroborate their names and participate not blameworthy pleas.

Flowers and Jubair are some charged with conspiring to perpetrate unauthorised acts against machine systems belonging to TfL betwixt 29 August and 6 September 2024.

As portion of that complaint they are accused of "causing, oregon creating a important hazard of, superior harm to quality payment and intending to origin specified harm oregon being reckless arsenic to whether specified harm was caused."

Flowers, who wore a achromatic t-shirt and a grey jumper astir his shoulders, is besides accused of unauthorised acts against machine systems belonging to SSM Health and attempting to perpetrate unauthorised acts against machine systems belonging to Sutter Health.

Jubair, who appeared successful the dock wearing a grey suit, is accused of failing to disclose the pin oregon passwords seized from him connected 19 March 2025.

A provisional proceedings day has been acceptable for 8 June 2026 astatine Southwark Crown Court, with a pre-trial proceeding connected 13 February.

TfL was targeted connected 31 August 2024 by attackers who accessed lawsuit information including names and interaction details.

The cyber incidental did not origin immoderate wider disruption to transport networks but has outgo the operators millions of pounds successful losses and recovery.

At the clip TfL described the onslaught arsenic "sophisticated" and "aggressive" and were forced to unopen down immoderate areas of cognition including postulation cameras, and "dial a ride" bookings.

They were besides incapable to process immoderate payments.

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In September, Paul Foster, caput of the NCA's cyber transgression unit, described the charges against Jubair and Flowers arsenic a "key step" successful a "lengthy and analyzable investigation."

"This onslaught caused important disruption and millions successful losses to TfL, portion of the UK's captious nationalist infrastructure," helium added.

"Earlier this year, the NCA warned of an summation successful the menace from cyber criminals based successful the UK and different English-speaking countries, of which Scattered Spider is simply a wide example.

"The NCA, UK policing and our planetary partners, including the FBI, are collectively committed to identifying offenders wrong these networks and ensuring they look justice."

He besides thanked TfL for their "swift action" successful reporting the cyber onslaught and their "engagement" with the NCA connected the investigation.

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