Cyberspace as a battlefield: meet the Lazarus Group

Who is the mastermind when cyberspace suddenly becomes a battlefield in the digital crime world? 'The Lazarus Heist,' an award-winning podcast from BBC World Service, leaves no questions unanswered in the shadow of cybercrime. This podcast, launched in 2021, delves into the eerie depths of global hacking and the infamous Lazarus Group, believed to have connections to North Korea. With well-researched episodes from Geoff White and Jean Lee, it combines the thrill of a spy thriller with the harsh reality of hacker attacks, like the infamous Sony Pictures hack of 2014 and the Bangladesh Bank heist of 2016. Available on BBC Sounds, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, 'The Lazarus Heist' has put the cybercrime genre on the world map with its intense storytelling techniques.

Podcast hackers: who pulls the strings?

With knowledgeable hosts like cybercrime journalist Geoff White and North Korea expert Jean Lee, the podcast keeps listeners engaged through a blend of investigative journalism and a nerve-wracking narrative form. The series uncovers how the Lazarus Group executes chaos across borders with false flag operations and advanced hacking techniques. A key investigation centers on who is really pulling the strings, especially when North Korean tacticians are reportedly using Western NSA tools against their own creators. While the sophisticated hacking methods are examined with technical detail, it's the human factor that captures the imagination – who are these cybercriminals, and why do they operate in the twilight zone between espionage and theft?

Recognition and debate: is it state-sponsored hacking?

'The Lazarus Heist' has received widespread recognition and sparked extensive debate about state-sponsored hacking, but it has also met with controversy. Pyongyang denies all connections to the Lazarus Group, and others question the accuracy of the evidence. Nonetheless, the podcast has heightened awareness of the grand game in cyberspace, where actions removed from screens affect banks, infrastructures, and security systems worldwide. As a captivating document of how geopolitical tension now also lives in cyberspace, 'The Lazarus Heist' presents deeper insights than the usual headlines and demonstrates that the digital landscape is not just a backdrop but a stage for the world's most dramatic conflicts.

Dive into 'The Lazarus Heist' on BBC Sounds podcasts.apple.com. Follow us for more in-depth true crime analyses of the world's dramatic cyber conflicts.