UK Court Jails Young Hackers Over London Transport Cyberattack

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LONDON: A UK court has jailed two young hackers for five-and-a-half years following a devastating 2024 cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL). The breach exposed the personal data of approximately seven million customers and ranks among the biggest data breaches in British history.

Thalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers, 18, both pleaded guilty to the cyberattack, which took place between August 31 and September 3, 2024. London's Woolwich Crown Court heard that their actions caused massive disruption. Judge Mark Turner noted the crime was heavily fueled by ‘selfish bravado.’

While London's trains and buses kept running, the hack knocked TfL’s online services completely offline for three months. The severe disruption cost the transport operator an estimated £25 million ($33 million). Prosecutors stated the pair had enough system control to cause catastrophic, total shutdowns.

The National Crime Agency arrested the pair in September 2025 after a lengthy investigation. Both men are linked to ‘Scattered Spider,’ an online criminal collective responsible for hitting major retailers. The two individuals were already well-known to police for prior high-profile hacks against international corporations.