Alleged Scattered Spider member arrested by UK authorities

UK law enforcement arrested a 17-year-old teenager who is an alleged member of the Scattered Spider ransomware group that attacked MGM Resorts last year.

According to reports, the West Midlands Police in the UK have detained a 17-year-old from Walsall in connection with a global cybercrime cell that targets large organisations with ransomware and breaches computer networks.

The arrest occurred last week after the law enforcement agency cooperated with investigators deployed by the National Crime Agency and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The kid was successfully arrested on accusations of breaching the Blackmail and Computer Misuse Act and later freed on bail while police investigated.

Despite getting out via bail, the investigators have still taken digital devices from the suspect, which will undergo a sophisticated examination to look for more evidence.

On the other hand, MGM Resorts also expressed gratitude to all the law enforcement agencies that helped it find the perpetrators of the ransomware attack.

 

The UK authorities revealed that the recent arrest is only a small part of a large-scale investigation into the Scattered Spider threat group.

 

According to UK authorities, arresting the suspected Scattered Spider member is a small step towards eradicating the hacking organisation since it has become a severe threat, especially in data breaches, data heists, and extortion.

Scattered Spider refers to a group of highly motivated English-speaking threat actors, including members as young as 16, with various skill sets that frequently get together in the same Telegram channels, Discord servers, and hacker forums.

Separate investigations also revealed that some of its members are also part of another hacking group called “Comm,” associated with cybercriminal attacks and violent activities. However, other researchers believe that the Scattered Spider gang is not a coherent group but a network of individuals with a vast pool of threat actors involved in cyberattacks.

Therefore, the organisation’s unique structure makes it difficult for law enforcement to track them down or attribute assaults to individual cybercrime groups.