Scattered Spider Hackers Plead Guilty on Day 1 of Trial

Two individuals pleaded guilty this week in the United Kingdom to charges related to a cyberattack in August 2024 that disrupted Transport for London (TfL). Owen Flowers, 18, and Thalha Jubair, 20, were identified as key members of the cybercrime group Scattered Spider. Their guilty pleas occurred on the first day of a trial that was anticipated to last six weeks. Both admitted to conspiring to commit unauthorized acts against TfL's computer systems and causing a risk of serious damage to human welfare. The BBC reported that Flowers also admitted to involvement in a conspiracy to hack U.S. healthcare providers SSM Health Care Corporation and Sutter Health in September 2024. Jubair is facing charges from U.S. law enforcement, with a September 2025 indictment from New Jersey alleging that he and other Scattered Spider members engaged in computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. This indictment detailed 120 network intrusions affecting 47 U.S. entities between May 2022 and September 2025, resulting in at least $115 million in ransom payments. In July 2025, KrebsOnSecurity reported Flowers and Jubair's arrest in the UK in connection with Scattered Spider attacks on retailers Marks & Spencer, Harrods, and the Co-op Group. Sources indicated Flowers was the Scattered Spider member who provided anonymous media interviews following the group's September 2023 ransomware attacks on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.