The UK 's National Crime Agency has announced that it has arrested a 17-year-old teenager suspected of being linked to the cyberattack on Transport for London , the city's public transport service.
See also: Transport for London faces disruption due to cyberattack
" A teenager has been arrested in Walsall by the National Crime Agency as part of an investigation into a cyber affecting Transport for London (TfL) security incident , the NCA said in a statement .
“The 17-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act offences in connection with the attack, which began at TfL on September 1.“
The teenager was questioned by NCA officers and later released on bail. The NCA says it is leading the investigation into the cyberattack and is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre and TfL to manage the incident.
As noted by Will Thomas, the NCA also arrested a 17-year-old man from Walsall in July 2024, for possible connection to the ransomware on MGM Resorts. This attack was attributed to the Scattered Spider hacking group, which operated as an affiliate of the BlackCat.
On September 1, Transport for London revealed that it had suffered a cyberattack over the weekend and had shut down or restricted access to various IT systems to prevent it from spreading.
See also: Transport for London (TfL): Investigating cyberattack on its systems
While the attack did not disrupt transportation services in the city, it affected internal systems used by staff, various customer-facing electronic systems, and the ability to issue refunds.
The attack also caused ongoing disruption to Dial-a-Ride , which provides door-to-door transport for people with disabilities.
After initially saying no customer data had been stolen, TfL today confirmed that data including customer names, contact details, email addresses and home addresses were stolen in the attack . The hackers may also have accessed Oyster card refund data and bank account information for around 5,000 customers .
Through its surface transport systems, underground and Crossrail, TfL provides transport services to more than 8.4 million Londoners.
In May 2023, Transport for London also suffered a data breach after the Clop ransomware gang stole data for around 13,000 customers from the organization's MOVEit Transfer services.
See also: Cyberattack in Columbus city under investigation by federal authorities
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Cyberattacks, such as the one at Transport for London, are malicious and deliberate attempts by an individual or organization to compromise the information system of another individual or organization. These attacks aim to steal, alter, or destroy data by gaining unauthorized access to computer systems. Cyberattacks can take many forms, including viruses, worms, ransomware, phishing and denial-of-service attacks. With technological advances, such attacks have increased in complexity and frequency, posing significant threats to personal, corporate, and national security. Ensuring robust cybersecurity measures are essential to safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining the integrity and functionality of IT infrastructure.
Source: bleepingcomputer
