Hackers, malware and the darknet – The fatal consequences of cyberattacks | DW Documentary

Cyberspace is less secure than ever before. Hackers exploit human error or technical loopholes to steal data — or publish it on the darknet, if the ransom demanded is not paid. It’s a practice wiith catastrophic consequences.

It can happen to anyone: Private individuals, companies, administrations, schools and even hospitals are falling victim to attacks by hackers. The media has been reporting on cybercrime for years and the trend is rising. Hackers are more powerful than ever – and always ready to exploit human error or technical vulnerabilities to penetrate the IT systems of companies, administrations or private individuals. Their tools include ransomware, i.e. malware that installs itself on a computer to lock it or encrypt data on it. Once this has been done, the criminals can steal the data. They then threaten to publish it on the darknet if the ransom demanded – in cryptocurrency, of course – is not paid. In the USA alone, the damage caused by cyberattacks in 2023 amounted to 12.5 billion dollars. An amount that, within two years, had more than doubled.

A report published by the European Union for Network and Information Security in late 2022 highlights the particular risks faced by the healthcare sector. In fact, thousands of hospitals worldwide have already been virtually attacked. One hospital in Israel, for example, made a virtue of necessity, filming and publishing its handling of the attack to prevent other hospitals from falling into the same trap.

In the film, victims and their relatives talk about how their lives have been impacted by cyberattacks. Company bankruptcies, loss of pension insurance, even suicide – the consequences can be fatal. In the film, viewers also hear from a hacker, who explains how straightforward it is to deprive people of their data.

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