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03. July 2025
Young Cyber Outlaws Wreak Havoc Across Globe
The Rise of Scattered Spider: A Group of Young Cybercriminals Poses the ‘Most Imminent Threat’ of Cyberattacks Right Now
In recent weeks, the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada have been plagued by a series of high-profile cyberattacks that have left grocery store shelves bare, planes grounded, and companies reeling. The scenes of chaos and disruption tend to signal a crisis, whether it’s an extreme weather event, public health crisis, or geopolitical emergency. But these recent attacks were caused by financially motivated cyberattacks, seemingly perpetrated by a collective of joyriding teens known as Scattered Spider.
Researchers say that this notorious group has been using social engineering techniques to infiltrate target companies by tricking IT help desk workers into granting them system access. The group’s modus operandi is to gain expertise about the backend systems commonly used by businesses in a particular industry and then use this knowledge to hit a cluster of targets before moving on to another sector. Once they have compromised their victims, Scattered Spider often deploys ransomware or conducts data extortion attacks.
Amid increasing pressure from law enforcement last year, which culminated in charges and arrests of five suspects allegedly linked to Scattered Spider, researchers say that the group was less active in 2024 and seemed to be attempting to lay low. However, recent weeks have shown that Scattered Spider is emboldened once again, carrying out a series of high-profile attacks on critical infrastructure.
“There are some uniquely skilled actors in Scattered Spider when it comes to social engineering, and they have identified a major gap in our security systems that they’re successfully taking advantage of,” says John Hultquist, chief analyst in Google’s threat intelligence group. “This group is carrying out serious attacks on our critical infrastructure, and I hope that we’re not missing the opportunity to address the most imminent threat.”
The scope and scale of Scattered Spider’s recent attacks are striking. In May, the UK’s National Crime Agency confirmed it was looking at Scattered Spider in connection to the attacks on British retailers. The agency said that the group had used social engineering tactics to gain access to several major grocery store chains, leaving shelves bare and causing widespread disruption.
The FBI also issued a warning in an alert on Friday that it has observed “the cybercriminal group Scattered Spider expanding its targeting to include the airline sector.” The warning came as North American airlines Westjet and Hawaii Airlines said they had been victims of cybercriminal hacks. On Wednesday, the Australian airline Qantas also said it had been hit with a cyberattack, though it was not immediately clear if this attack was part of the group’s campaign.
“They slowed down, and we saw them dissipate for a while throughout 2024,” says Adam Meyers, a senior vice president for counter-adversary operations at the security company CrowdStrike. “Then they’ve roared back in the last couple of months, first hitting retail and then hitting insurance companies and most recently targeting airlines.”
Scattered Spider first emerged as a high-profile group toward the end of 2023 as its members moved from SIM swapping attacks to launching crippling ransomware attacks on Caesar’s Entertainment and MGM Resorts. The latter cost MGM around $100 million to recover from. Researchers emphasize that the collective is financially motivated, made up of mostly English-speaking teenagers and young men who are often based in the US or UK.
The Scattered Spider hackers are considered an offshoot of the Com, an amorphous network of potentially thousands of trolls and criminals, many of whom engage in harassment, extortion, and child exploitation. The Com is a loose affiliation of cybercriminals that has been active for several years, with members operating across multiple continents.
Researchers say that Scattered Spider’s recent attacks are a prime example of the growing threat posed by nation-state sponsored attackers. “These groups have access to advanced tools and expertise, which they use to carry out sophisticated attacks,” says Hultquist. “We need to stay vigilant and invest in our security systems to prevent these types of attacks.”
The implications of Scattered Spider’s recent attacks are far-reaching. As the group continues to evolve and adapt, it is essential that law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity experts work together to stay ahead of the threat. The consequences of failing to do so could be catastrophic.
In the UK, the National Crime Agency has warned that the country’s critical infrastructure is vulnerable to cyberattacks, and that businesses must take steps to protect themselves. In the US, lawmakers have called for increased funding for cybersecurity measures and for greater collaboration between law enforcement agencies and private sector companies.
As researchers and experts continue to study this group, it is clear that addressing the most imminent threat requires a concerted effort from law enforcement agencies, cybersecurity experts, and policymakers. The future of critical infrastructure security hangs in the balance, and it is essential that we take action now to prevent Scattered Spider’s next move.