The Story The teenage hackers bringing British industry to its knees
Oct 27, 2025
Matilda Davies, a data journalist at The Times, and tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker dive into a wave of cyberattacks affecting major UK businesses. They discuss the staggering £1.9 billion cost of the Jaguar Land Rover hack, orchestrated by teenage hackers. The duo explores the motivations behind these hackers, their organization on dark-web forums, and the devastating impacts of their actions on industries. Insights into recruitment tactics from gaming and the challenges faced in restoring hacked systems paint a compelling picture of this alarming trend.
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Teenagers Behind Major Economic Damage
- Teen hackers caused huge damage, with the Jaguar Land Rover hack costing around £1.9 billion to the UK economy.
- Law enforcement found arrested suspects were teenagers living at home, reshaping assumptions about attackers.
Arrests Revealed Teenagers In Basements
- The National Crime Agency raided four suspects' homes and found them to be teenagers living in their parents' basements.
- Matilda Davies described them as archetypal computer nerds caught at home.
Clusters Within A Vast Dark-Web Community
- Scattered Spider is part of a larger dark-web community ('the com') made of interlinked clusters that specialize in different crimes.
- The Scattered Spider cluster focuses on hacking massive companies to hold data for ransom.