Skip to content

Why web attacks show we’re all vulnerable

October 22, 2026 · 14 min

Show notes

PHP. The three little letters few people realised were so vital for most of the websites in the world.

But a vulnerability in a piece of programming virtually all of us had never heard of has affected everyone from small businesses to major governments.

Millions of cyberattacks have followed in the wake of the problem being made public. But the fact is, your personal information – from email addresses to bank details – was already at risk.

AI is increasingly both poacher and gamekeeper – discovering the vulnerability in the first place but also playing a vital role in cybersecurity. So, is it time to rethink our online lives?

Gareth Barlow speaks to Sky’s technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe.

Have you got a question for the show? Email us: [email protected]

All episodes of This Is Why

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.