Two teenagers have been brought before the courts to face serious computer hacking charges stemming from a significant cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL) that occurred last year. The defendants, Thalha Jubair, 19, from east London, and Owen Flowers, 18, who hails from Walsall in the West Midlands, are accused of conspiring to commit unauthorised acts under the Computer Misuse Act. They made a brief appearance at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, confirming their identities to Judge Tony Baumgartner, who then set a schedule for their case.
The fallout from the cyberattack caused significant problems for TfL, resulting in three months of disruption to several key services. Customers were unable to access live Tube information, their online journey history, and payment functionality on the Oyster app. The investigation and subsequent arrests were carried out by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the City of London Police. The teenagers were detained on September 16th and formally charged two days later. The NCA believes the hack, which began on August 31st of last year, was executed by individuals linked to the well-known cyber-criminal group Scattered Spider.
The charges against the two young men are not limited to the TfL incident. Jubair faces an additional, specific charge for refusing to provide the passwords to his electronic devices when requested. Flowers has been hit with more complex allegations, including conspiring with other individuals to infiltrate and cause damage to the networks of SSM Health Care Corporation, and attempting to carry out similar criminal activity against Sutter Health, another major organization.
Furthermore, the legal issues for Jubair extend internationally. On September 18th, the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a complaint in a federal court in New Jersey that accuses him of multiple conspiracies, including computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. These American charges are tied to at least 120 computer network intrusions and extortion schemes involving 47 U.S. entities. The complaint alleges that victims of these crimes paid out a staggering total of at least $115,000,000 in ransom payments. No corresponding U.S. complaint has been made public regarding Flowers at this time.
Following their initial court appearance, the judge ordered that both teenagers be remanded into custody. Their next court date, a further hearing to advance the case, is set for November 21st. The court has indicated that the full trial for the serious charges they face will be a long process, scheduling it to begin on June 8, 2026.
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