Teenagers charged over Transport for London cyber attack

Two teenagers have been charged as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into a cyber attack on Transport for London.

TfL suffered a major hack on 31 August last year, which investigators believe was carried out by members of the 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 on Tuesday by the NCA and City of London Police.

Both are expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the teenagers to be charged with conspiring together to commit unauthorised acts against TfL, under the Computer Misuse Act.

Deputy Director Paul Foster, head 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.”

Earlier this year, the NCA warned of an increase in the threat from cyber criminal gangs based in the UK and other English-speaking countries, of which Scattered Spider is an example.