A new season of the BBC podcast Cyber Hack explores the twists and turns of cybercrime, by exposing the inner workings of the hackers themselves. Cyber Hack: The Conti Files takes the listener from Redcar in the North East of England to Moscow, Russia and reveals the real‑world consequences of international cybercrime.
Following the first three seasons of Cyber Hack from the BBC World Service, the new season is an investigation from BBC Local. The new six-part series investigates the notorious Conti ransomware gang. It reveals how its criminal operations devastated a local council, disrupted the Health Service Executive in Ireland, and caused havoc in organisations and communities across the globe.
The story begins in Redcar, a seaside town in the industrial North East of England, when the local council is hit by a ransomware attack in the early hours of a February morning in 2020. Essential services, including social care, are severely disrupted, placing children and vulnerable people at risk as Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s data is held to ransom.
From there, the series expands internationally. It includes the story of an LA screenwriter who travels to Moscow to work on a film about hackers, but later discovered the production company is a front, set up by those very same criminals.
The new season of Cyber Hack also examines the headline‑grabbing hack of Graff Diamonds, where Conti leaked personal data belonging to high‑profile clients, prompting a rare public U‑turn by the gang.
Primarily based in Russia, with affiliates across the world, including Ukraine, Conti’s eventual downfall is also closely examined. The series explores how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine became a critical fault line within the group, contributing to its dramatic collapse.
Hosted by award‑winning investigative journalist and author, Geoff White, and drawing on analysis of tens of thousands of private messages leaked online, the series uncovers who the Conti members were, how they operated, and what life inside a global ransomware operation was really like. The series also gained access to video footage of the man accused of leading the gang, showing his brazenly opulent lifestyle.
The leaked messages are voiced by actors and woven throughout the series, offering audiences a rare and unique insight into the inner workings of an international criminal enterprise. The organisation was so advanced, it functioned much like a conventional business, complete with HR departments, bonuses and holidays, except its trade was high‑stakes, digital blackmail on a global scale.
Geoff White, also co-hosted the first two seasons of Cyber Hack – The Lazarus Heist – with North Korea expert Jean Lee. Geoff said: “Normally, it’s the hackers who are invading our lives. In this series, we turn the tables and step inside theirs. By listening to their own words, audiences can finally understand how a ruthless ransomware gang really operated, and the human cost of their crimes.”
Cyber Hack is the BBC podcast that investigates alleged cyber gangs and the heists and hacks they’re accused of carrying out.
The first two seasons of Cyber Hack were The Lazarus Heist, from the BBC World Service. “The Lazarus Group” is said to be behind the biggest crypto heist in history, stealing billions of dollars in the process. Investigators claim they are state-backed hackers from North Korea, and say the stolen money is being used to finance its nuclear weapons and missile development programs. Pyongyang denies involvement. Among the Lazarus Group’s many alleged targets are Hollywood’s Sony Entertainment and the Bank of Bangladesh.
Cyber Hack, Season 3: Evil Corp, from the BBC World Service, told the story of a Russian group called Evil Corp. It’s accused of being a family crime gang, responsible for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars. Law enforcement agencies say they are “the most pervasive cybercrime group to ever have operated”.
Chris Burns, Head of Local Audio Commissioning said: “This season shows exactly why cybercrime is not just a technical issue but a deeply human one. By connecting a global story to local communities, Cyber Hack brings audiences closer to the real‑life impact of these crimes, shining a light on how they affect local people, services and societies at every level.”
BBC Local provides impartial and distinctive output rooted in the communities of England through 39 local radio stations, online news and digital output, market-leading regional news bulletins on BBC One and unrivalled local sports coverage.
Episodes of Cyber Hack: The Conti Flies are released weekly from Monday 6 July on most podcast platforms.
Global listeners can listen to the full boxset by subscribing to BBC Podcasts Premium on Apple Podcasts.
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