Cyber Hack

A brand new season of the BBC’s space podcast explores the story of the revolutionary Hubble Space Telescope and the tiny flaw that almost destroyed the dream. This is the first episode in the season, to listen to more just search 13 Minutes wherever you get your BBC podcasts. In this episode, our view of the universe could be transformed by one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever built but a terrible disaster strikes Nasa. After decades of meticulous planning, will the Hubble Space Telescope make it into space? Nasa believes the telescope is capable of doing the impossible: peering deeper into the universe than ever before and unlocking some of its greatest secrets. But Hubble is delicate and extraordinarily complex and it will be Astronaut Kathy Sullivan’s responsibility to help get it into space, no matter what. Archive: Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. 13 Minutes: Trouble with Hubble is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Presenter: Dame Dr Maggie Aderin Series producer: Harrison Lewis Sound design: Tony Churnside Series editor: Ilan Goodman Senior commissioning producer: Katy Davis Commissioning editor: Jon Manel

Conti’s alleged leader is unmasked and his lavish lifestyle is stripped of its secrecy.

German Police accuse a Russian man in his 30s of being the enigmatic Stern.

When an anonymous investigator leaks even more information about Stern’s identity, Geoff is able to track the movements of one of the most wanted cyber criminals in the world.

War breaks out in Ukraine leading to a within Conti and jaw dropping consequences. Having operated in the shadows, a huge leak exposes their operation for all to see.

The world’s law enforcement are on the case and Conti are on the run. They stage one last unbelievable hack and unleash their ransomware on the entire country of Costa Rica.

Coupled with Covid-19, the hack will bring the Costa Rican government to a standstill.

With the authorities closing in Conti make a dangerous mistake, putting themselves on the wrong side of some very powerful people.

When they hack into a high-end jeweler and leak the personal data of the rich and famous, the gang ends up being front page news.

While they scramble to make amends, the political events unfolding around them start to push them ever closer towards breaking point.

Conti’s notoriety grows when they target hundreds of hospitals around the world. Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) is hacked and a cancer patient is left fearing for her life.

The topic of attacks on the healthcare sector seems to divide Conti and ruptures begin to form.

As the attack on Ireland brings international condemnation, a team of cyber security experts battles to bring the HSE back online.

A Moscow film company becomes entangled in the hunt for a gang of hackers.

An unsuspecting script writer is approached about an intriguing project. As he sits in a meeting, held high up in a city skyscraper, he has no idea just how close he’s getting to the story he’s being asked to tell.

At the heart of it all, Stern, an alleged criminal mastermind whose business is booming and bears a name that will become feared worldwide.

The name is Conti.

A devastating cyber-attack is unleashed in a British seaside town. The target is a council responsible for the welfare of its residents and the safety of vulnerable children. The attackers demand millions to undo the damage.

The question is, why here?

The answer leads Investigative journalist Geoff White into the depths of the dark web and a vast leak of secretive communications offers him a terrifying insight into the cybercrime underworld.

High stakes. High tech. Highly organised. Inside Conti, one of the world’s most ruthless cybercrime gangs.

When investigative journalist Geoff White hears news of a cyberattack in a wind battered seaside town in the North East of England, he goes on the hunt for the elusive hackers responsible.

When the gang’s internal conversations are leaked online, Geoff is afforded a terrifying insight into how they operate and why no system is safe.

Presenter: Geoff White Series Editor: Gail Champion

Investigators hunting for Maksim Yakubets, allege he is working with the FSB – Russia’s security agency. They say the Evil Corp gang has stolen more than $100m from at least 300 victim organisations in 43 countries - but who is the powerful man in Moscow said to be protecting Maksim, their alleged leader? We follow his family’s journey from a humble sausage factory in Ukraine to the Russian high-life – and the frontier of cybercrime. Hosted by Joe Tidy, the BBC’s cyber correspondent – one of the few Western journalists to have met an alleged member of Evil Corp – and the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford, who spent more than two decades reporting from Moscow.

As the cyber criminals reinvent themselves, FBI Special Agent Keith Mularski goes undercover to infiltrate the operation. But as kingpin Tank is finally arrested, another leader rises with the creation of a new crew: Evil Corp. The group’s alleged leader, Maksim Yakubets, would go on to steal millions using “one of the most prolific and successful malware strains” in the history of cyber-crime.

Hosted by Joe Tidy, the BBC’s cyber correspondent – one of the few Western journalists to have met an alleged member of Evil Corp – and the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford, who spent more than two decades reporting from Moscow.

A cyber-crime kingpin in a US prison speaks for the first time. How did he dodge the FBI when they came to his home? And how did he and his alleged crime gang steal millions of dollars from their victims? We learn that Jabber Zeus boss Tank had friends in high political places in Ukraine – and a budding young business associate in Russia.

Hosted by Joe Tidy, the BBC’s cyber correspondent – one of the few Western journalists to have met an alleged member of Evil Corp – and the BBC’s Eastern and Southern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who spent more than two decades reporting from Moscow.

The net tightens on the Jabber Zeus crew. Police and intelligence services across borders are poised to synchronise raids, but cops in London are thrown a last-minute curveball that could see the whole operation implode. Meanwhile, tales of Tank’s past emerge - and his former life as club DJ Slava Rich. But as FBI agents working in Ukraine brace to break down doors and make arrests, are the hackers already aware of what’s coming?

Hosted by Joe Tidy, the BBC’s cyber correspondent – one of the few Western journalists to have met an alleged member of Evil Corp – and the BBC’s Eastern and Southern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who spent more than two decades reporting from Moscow.

A rookie FBI agent is swept up in a case that goes from Main St, USA, to the UK, Ukraine and Russia. Cyber-crime victims are everywhere. This is way bigger than Jim Craig thought. He travels to Ukraine to meet his counterparts. Over vodka and fine food in a dacha in the Ukrainian forest, they make a plan to go after the suspected cyber hackers.

Hosted by Joe Tidy, the BBC’s cyber correspondent – one of the few Western journalists to have met an alleged member of Evil Corp – and the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford, who spent more than two decades reporting from Moscow.

Moscow drag racers, an opulent Russian wedding and a malware code named after the Greek god of thunder - how do they all connect? A cyber-sleuth and “dark hero of the internet” Lawrence Baldwin sees signs of an emerging underworld. As money vanishes from accounts across the US, Lawrence follows the trail, infiltrating the gang - holding out for clues. But who are these audacious hackers?

Hosted by Joe Tidy, the BBC’s cyber correspondent, one of the few Western journalists to have met an alleged member of Evil Corp, and Sarah Rainsford, who spent more than two decades reporting from Moscow.

Accused of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars – Russia’s most wanted hackers. Just who are Evil Corp? In season 3 of Cyber Hack, we follow the years’ long trail with investigators as they try to track down the man alleged to be at the centre of it all, hacker Maksim Yakubets.

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$1.5 billion disappears in minutes. But what follows reveals North Korea’s expanding reach — from elite hackers to soldiers on the battlefield.

The audacious attack was on the ByBit crypto exchange in February 2025. Investigators say North Korean hackers the Lazarus Group are responsible – the biggest heist in the history of crypto. With our hosts Jean Lee and Geoff White, we uncover how they pulled it off.

But as Pyongyang’s cyber army is striking targets all over the world, North Korean soldiers have also been fighting on more traditional battlegrounds – siding with Russia in its war on Ukraine. We meet the South Korean correspondent who secured a world-exclusive interview with a North Korean POW.

Does this all signify a turning point for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as his cyber operatives pull off increasingly daring heists and his military gain real-world combat experience fighting with the Russians against Ukraine? As Kim continues to ally with Vladimir Putin — a leader whose country possesses exactly the kind of nuclear expertise North Korea has long sought – is he more dangerous than ever?

Meanwhile North Korea says it has nothing to do with the cybercrimes the Lazarus Group is accused of, saying the United States is making these allegations to try and tarnish its image.

Our story is about more than money. It’s about where it goes, what it buys, and who’s fighting in the shadows.

From millions to billions: the Lazarus Group get into cryptocurrency. North Korea tries to infiltrate companies from the inside, posing as job seekers. “We had a North Korean on our payroll”. Can investigators stop them cashing out their digital loot? #LazarusHeist

It’s North Korea’s first crypto conference. Eight international tech experts decide to go but someone is watching. Their every move in Pyongyang is followed and they soon regret the trip. “I was put in handcuffs and taken to an interrogation centre.” #LazarusHeist

“He wrote me beautiful letters!” A “bromance” begins between President Trump and Kim Jong-un but how long will it last? The US president’s former security advisor, Ambassador John Bolton, reveals what happens inside the summit room when the two leaders meet face to face. Plus, the Olympic Destroyer hackers are finally unmasked – but who are they? #LazarusHeist

Hackers attack the Winter Olympics, during the opening ceremony in South Korea. Who is responsible? Fingers point to North Korea but it has joined forces with its neighbour and even sent a team. Why would they want to sabotage it? What’s going on? #LazarusHeist

"Something was collapsing inside me.” A top North Korean diplomat questions his commitment to the regime. And an adventure ends in tragedy for the American student, Otto Warmbier. We hear from the doctor who joined the mission to bring him home from Pyongyang.

A social media influencer is laundering cash for the hackers. Hushpuppi has expensive tastes and a luxury lifestyle. His paymasters? The dark web fraudster, Big Boss and the Lazarus Group cyber criminals, with alleged links to North Korea. Law enforcement is closing in. #LazarusHeist

Millions of dollars are stolen from ATMs at the same time in 28 countries. An army of money mules stuff the cash into bags. Do they know who they are really working for? In just over two hours, the thieves take nearly $14 million - all from the accounts of Cosmos Bank in India. The hackers are back! #LazarusHeist

The hackers are back – and they are accused of being more dangerous than ever. Their cyber-attacks are getting more sophisticated and audacious. It’s claimed they are getting away with billions. North Korea denies everything. With hosts Jean Lee and Geoff White. #Lazarusheist

A special episode recorded in front of an audience in New York. What’s it like working in North Korea? How are hackers tracked in real time? Hosted by podcaster and musician Dessa, with Jean Lee and Geoff White. Your questions answered, plus guests: Seohyun Lee, who defected from North Korea, and cybersecurity expert Michael ‘Barni’ Barnhart. #LazarusHeist

A frightening global attack, hospitals in chaos and an accidental hero with a secret. A virus spreads from computer to computer in 150 countries, causing billions of dollars in damage. It’s the story of WannaCry and Marcus Hutchins. Please help spread the word about #Lazarusheist

“Dark arts”, murders and a place with a murky past. Breaking news: an unexpected interview with one of the middlemen. Please help us spread the word about #LazarusHeist on social media and leave ratings and reviews.

Correction: This episode says that Kim Jong-nam was killed in 2015. The correct date was 2017.