Scattered Spider hackers jailed over 2024 TfL attack
Two members of the Scattered Spider hacking group were sentenced in London on July 16, 2026 for a cyberattack that crippled Transport for London in late August 2024. The attack knocked out more than 140 TfL systems, forced 27,000 staff to reset passwords in person, and cost about 29 million pounds to fix. Both men had pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to five and a half years in prison. UK police said the case severely disrupted the wider Scattered Spider group's activity.
- Started
- Aug 1, 2024
- Latest activity
- Jul 16, 2026
- Closed out
- Jul 16, 2026
- Attributed to
- Scattered SpiderConfirmed
- Where
- United Kingdom
- Sectors
- Transport, Government
- Scale
- Transport for London, the public transport authority for Greater London
Current status
On July 16, 2026, the UK National Crime Agency said the arrests and jailing of Jubair and Flowers had severely disrupted Scattered Spider's operations; no new developments have been reported since.
Resolved: Services were restored and the incident was closed out.
Who is behind it
Reporting on sentencing day noted Thalha Jubair separately faces US charges over a different, unrelated $87 million extortion scheme against dozens of American firms, and could be extradited after his UK sentence; that case is distinct from the TfL attack.
Impact
The attack made more than 140 TfL systems inoperable, exposed some customer data, forced all 27,000 staff to reset passwords in person, and cost TfL about 29 million pounds to remediate.
Timeline
-
Jul 16, 2026
Reports noted Thalha Jubair could be extradited to the United States after his UK sentence, in connection with a separate, unrelated US extortion case against dozens of American companies.
Resolvedmsn.com -
Jul 16, 2026
The UK National Crime Agency said the jailing of Flowers and Jubair had severely hampered the wider Scattered Spider group's operations.
Resolvedtechcrunch.com -
Jul 16, 2026
A judge at Woolwich Crown Court sentenced both men to five years and six months in prison.
Resolvedcybersecuritynews.com -
Jul 16, 2026
A UK court sentenced Flowers and Jubair to five and a half years in prison each, closing out the case.
Resolvedcps.gov.uk -
Jun 22, 2026
Jubair and Flowers pleaded guilty to the TfL attack on the first day of their trial.
Resolvedkrebsonsecurity.com -
Jun 22, 2026
Both men pleaded guilty on the opening day of their trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
Containedkrebsonsecurity.com -
Aug 31, 2024
Owen Flowers and Thalha Jubair began a cyberattack on Transport for London's systems that ran through September 3, 2024.
Activecps.gov.uk -
Aug 1, 2024
Scattered Spider members Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers attacked Transport for London, disrupting 148 internal systems.
Activecybersecuritynews.com
Sources
- Scattered Spider attackers plead guilty in TfL attack case KrebsOnSecurity Jun 23, 2026
- TfL attackers jailed for £29m damage Cyber Security News Jun 26, 2026
- Scattered Spider members plead guilty to TfL hack The Cyber Express Jun 17, 2026
- Cyberhackers who targeted TfL jailed for more than five years each Crown Prosecution Service Jul 16, 2026
- Teens who hacked TfL were known to police years before cyber-attack BBC Jun 25, 2026
- Cyber security incident in September 2024 Transport for London unverified
- UK cops say arrest of two young hackers disrupted the operations of an infamous hacking group TechCrunch Jul 16, 2026
- Scattered Spider members behind TfL hack get five years in prison Bleeping Computer Jul 16, 2026
- Loners who ran a 29m cyber-hacking spree are jailed for 5 years and could be extradited to the US MSN (Telegraph) Jul 16, 2026
- Selfish Bravado Behind TfL Cyber-Attack, Judge Says as Pair Jailed Infosecurity Magazine Jul 16, 2026
Related reports
- TfL attackers jailed for £29m damage Jun 26, 2026
- Scattered Spider members plead guilty to TfL hack Jun 17, 2026