UK teen charged with supplying DoS software to fuel cyberattacks on Amazon, Netflix, T-Mobile

An 18-year-old student from Stockport has been charged with running a web business to supply malware used to fuel attacks targeting millions of websites, including those of several multinational companies such as Amazon, Netflix and T-Mobile.

Jack Chappell has been accused of supplying Denial of Service (DoS) software to cybercriminals and helping them take down their targets' servers by flooding them with huge volumes of fake traffic.

The teen also allegedly ran an online helpdesk for hackers and assisted cybercrooks in a 2015 attack targeting NatWest that crippled the bank's online services.

According to West Midlands Police, Chappell allegedly attacked the websites of Amazon, Netflix, Virgin Media, the National Crime Agency, T-Mobile, Vodafone, BBC, BT, EE and O2.

However, none of the DoS attacks launched by Chappell resulted in the theft or loss of any customer data, officials said.

Chappell was charged with impairing the operation of computers under the Computer Misuse Act, encouraging or assisting an offence and money laundering crime proceeds along with an American citizen.

He was charged following an investigation led by the West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit. The force was assisted by the FBI, Israeli Police and Europol's European Cybercrime Center during the investigation.

The teen is expected to appear at the Manchester Magistrates Court on Tuesday (4 July).