Secret Double Octopus unveils Passwordless Solution for MSPs

Secret Double Octopus (SDO), a leader in enterprise-grade passwordless authentication, has officially launched its new ZeroPassword™ MSP Program, a comprehensive solution designed to empower Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) to eliminate passwords for their clients. The program aims to address the persistent security and operational challenges that passwords create for businesses.

Police Arrest a UK Teenager Hacker Linked to the Infamous Scattered Spider group

A 19-year-old British national has been arrested and charged in a joint operation between UK and U.S. law enforcement. The suspect, identified as Thalha Jubair, is a suspected affiliate of the notorious Scattered Spider cybergang and is alleged to have been involved in a sweeping cyber extortion scheme that targeted more than 120 computer networks, with at least 47 of those entities based in the United States.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice, the attacks, which occurred between May 2022 and September 2025, resulted in over $115 million in ransom payments from victims. The charges against Jubair include computer fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. If convicted in the U.S., he faces a maximum penalty of 95 years in prison.

Jubair, also known by aliases such as "EarthtoStar" and "Brad," is accused of conspiring with others to use sophisticated social engineering tactics to infiltrate the computer networks of U.S. companies.

The group would then allegedly steal and encrypt data, demanding large ransom payments in exchange for restoring access and preventing the public disclosure of the stolen information. The U.S. Justice Department's complaint specifically cites attacks on a U.S.-based critical infrastructure company and the U.S. Courts in late 2024 and early 2025.

Apart from the charges in the U.S. courts, Jubair also stands accused of a separate cyberattack on London's Transport for London (TfL) in August 2024. In this case, there’s a second suspect, an 18-year-old named Owen Flowers, who is also in police custody. Owen is also facing additional charges in the U.S, where he is accused of attacking health companies SSM Health Care Corporation and Sutter Health.

Warning to cybercriminals

Paul Foster, the head of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating these threats. "Today's charges make it clear that no cybercriminal is beyond our reach," said a statement from the FBI's Cyber Division, underscoring the determination to hold those who attack American companies and citizens accountable.

The arrest is also a significant victory in efforts to dismantle the Scattered Spider collective. The group, also known as "Octo Tempest," "UNC3944," and "0ktapus," is composed largely of English-speaking teenagers and young adults from the U.S. and UK. The group has gained infamy for a series of high-profile cyberattacks on major corporations, including MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.