How Teenage Hackers Hijack the Internet

Overview

In April 2025, UK retailer Marks and Spencer was brought to its knees by a group of young, English-speaking cybercriminals known as Scattered Spider. The group is the latest in a long line of infamous teenage hacking gangs that are reshaping crime under the noses of their parents.

In Ctrl+Alt+Chaos, Joe Tidy lifts the lid on the dark underbelly of the internet and youth culture. Tracking the rise and fall of groups such as LulzSec, HTP, UG Nazi, and Lizard Squad, Ctrl+Alt+Chaos features exclusive interviews with the hackers as well as the police officers trying to stop them. Joe Tidy also draws parallels with recent high-profile attacks from other teenage gangs and asks the question – how can we stop the cycle of teenage boys hijacking life online?

To discuss the challenges raised by the book and the ongoing threat posed to the UK by groups like Scattered Spider, Joe Tidy will be joined by a panel of experts from RUSI, industry and UK law enforcement.

The event will be followed by a drinks’ reception. Funding for the reception is provided by CrowdStrike.

Speakers:

Joe Tidy is the BBC’s first ever Cyber Correspondent and the foremost voice in the corporation on cybercrime and hacking. Over the past six years he has covered all major cyber-attacks for BBC TV, Radio, social media and its website. He has made documentaries about cyber security travelling to the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Germany and Ukraine to track down stories and characters. Joe’s most high-profile news feature and documentary saw him travel to Russia in November 2021 in search of the world’s most wanted cyber-criminal.

Jen Ellis is a RUSI Associate Fellow and the founder of NextJenSecurity, she partners with security experts, technology providers and operators, civil society, and governments, to create greater understanding of cyber security challenges and solutions. Jen promotes better collaboration among these communities, more effective cyber security advocacy, and broader adoption of security best practices.

Zeki Turedi is the European Field CTO at CrowdStrike and has been with the company since 2016. An influential, tenacious and highly motivated cybersecurity leader with professional experience specialising in Endpoint and Network Cyber Security, as well as extensive Incident Response and Forensic knowledge within Law Enforcement and the private sector. Zeki acts as a trusted advisor and strategist for organisations across Europe.

Will Lyne is the Head of Cyber Intelligence at the National Crime Agency and has over a decade of experience designing and delivering disruptions against top cybercrime threats.

The discussion will be moderated by Jamie MacColl, Senior Research Fellow in Cyber and Tech at RUSI.

How to attend

This event is in-person only, open to all, taking place at the Royal United Services Institute. If you have any questions regarding the event, please email [email protected].