Spider Gang Associate Convicted to Decade-Long Imprisonment for Series of Cyber Crimes
In a federal court in Jacksonville, Florida, Noah Urban, a member of the notorious cybercrime group Scattered Spider, was sentenced to ten years in prison. Urban pleaded guilty to charges related to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft this year.
The Scattered Spider, a loose collective of mostly young males based in the US, UK, and Western Europe, has been active since 2023. They rose to prominence after ransomware attacks on major Las Vegas casinos Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International. Since then, the group has been known for hard-hitting hacks on numerous companies before going quiet after law enforcement intervention.
Their activities have affected various sectors, including retail, insurance, aviation, and casinos. In 2024, the group was active again, with the arrest of a member happening in central Florida while the member was a teenager in January. Urban was the first member of Scattered Spider to be sentenced.
Impact statements were heard in court from various people affected by the hacks. A retired firefighter, a victim who lost IVF fertility funds, and others who lost retirement funds or struggled financially due to Urban's theft spoke about the hardships they faced. Urban targeted 29 cryptocurrency victims and 13 companies in his crimes.
Urban was taught by older co-conspirators, according to his lawyer, Kathryn Sheldon. She stated that Urban made "some very poor decisions as a teenager." The court proceedings took place, but the specific actions leading to the charges against Urban were not detailed in the provided paragraph.
Other members of the Scattered Spider, including individuals identified in U.S. indictments, have also been charged with similar hacking and cryptocurrency theft. Some arrests have been reported, but specific names and details remain limited publicly.
In July, the group was believed to have attacked British retail giants Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods. Multiple arrests were made in the UK, but the details are not widely available. The Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory in July warning about Scattered Spider's tactics against victim organizations. According to the advisory, the group uses various tactics against victim organizations.
As the sentencing of Noah Urban marks a significant step in the fight against cybercrime, law enforcement continues to work diligently to apprehend and prosecute other members of the Scattered Spider. The impact of their activities will be felt for some time, as the financial losses they have caused continue to affect individuals and companies.
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