TalkTalk hack: 15 year boy arrested over alleged cyber-attack is bailed

A teenage boy who was arrested in Northern Ireland as part of the investigation into the alleged cyber-attack on TalkTalk has been released, police have said.

Scotland Yard said the 15-year-old was questioned on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act, but freed on bail on Tuesday morning pending further inquiries.

The North Antrim MP Ian Paisley urged the press to respect the privacy and requests of the family of the boy, after he was named in some media reports.

Paisley said: “I have spoken with the mother of the teenager arrested and bailed in relation to the TalkTalk case. The family are trying to come to terms with this situation and although they appreciate the wide public and press interest in this matter, can I appeal for the press to cease contacting the family at their home."

“They cannot comment publicly and the teenager in question cannot make any public comments. I would appeal to the press to respect the family’s request for privacy and allow the process of law and order to run its course.”


TalkTalk cyber-attack: company unsure how many customers affected
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The boy was arrested on Monday afternoon at a house in the Ballymena area of County Antrim by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and questioned by officers from the Metropolitan police’s cybercrime unit.

His arrest was the first major development since the phone and broadband provider said last week it had been hacked, prompting warnings from the company that the bank details and personal information of its 4 million customers may have been accessed.

Jonathan Craig, a Democratic Unionist member of Northern Ireland’s Policing Board, said the arrest of the boy was part of the most significant investigation into alleged hacking in the region ever.

Craig said if the boy was proven to have taken part in the
The decision drew criticism, with consumer site Which? describing it as the “bare minimum” TalkTalk could do. The moved eased investor fears, however, that the company might face a customer exodus.

TalkTalk has insisted the number of people affected by the incident is far lower than first thought and any credit or debit card details that may have been accessed had a series of numbers hidden, meaning they cannot be used for financial transactions.

Shares in the firm closed up 13.2%, clawing back much of the combined 16.4% fall seen in the previous two days trading.

TalkTalk said customers should monitor their accounts over the coming months and report anything unusual to Action Fraud. It has said that bank account numbers and sort codes, like those printed on a cheque, may have been accessed.

However, it also said: “Without more information, criminals can’t use these to take money from your bank account. Even then, the chances are very small indeed.”

The company said it was working with cybercrime experts, the security services and the police to complete a “thorough investigation”.alleged hack, it would raise serious questions about how a teenager in Co Antrim could have been able to infiltrate a major telecommunications company.

Meanwhile, TalkTalk shares rocketed more than 13% on Tuesday as the firm took a robust stance on customers wishing to leave in the wake of the alleged cyber-attack.

The phone and broadband provider told customers that it would only waive termination fees if they could show they had money stolen from their account as a direct result of the alleged hack. Requests would be considered on a case-by-case basis, it added.