Criminal Gang Propositioned BBC reporter to Hack Employer for Ransom
LONDON – A criminal gang attempted to recruit a BBC reporter to infiltrate the corporation’s systems and facilitate a ransomware attack, offering a substantial cut of the potential payout – enough, they claimed, to ensure the reporter would ”never need to work again.” The reporter, acting on advice from a senior editor, engaged with the hackers to understand their methods and the growing threat of insider-enabled cybercrime.
The proposition, received in July via the encrypted messaging app Signal, came from an individual identifying themselves as “Syndicate” (later changing their name to “Syn”). The gang offered an initial 15% share of any ransom payment in exchange for access to the reporter’s work computer. This offer escalated to 25% of the final negotiation, based on an estimated ransom demand equivalent to 1% of the BBC’s total revenue.
the incident highlights a worrying trend of cybercriminals actively seeking to leverage insiders - employees with legitimate access to sensitive systems – to bypass traditional security measures. While the BBC has not publicly stated its policy on ransomware payments, the UK’s national Crime Agency advises against paying ransoms.
The reporter was told the hackers planned to steal data or install malicious software, holding the BBC to ransom and secretly sharing the profits. Syn estimated their team could demand a ransom in the tens of millions of pounds if prosperous.
This case echoes a recent arrest in Brazil,where an IT worker was apprehended for selling login details to hackers,resulting in a reported $100 million (£74m) loss for a banking institution. The reporter’s experience underscores the increasing sophistication and boldness of cybercriminals, and the vulnerability of organizations to attacks originating from within their own ranks. The reporter continued dialogue with the hackers to gather data about their tactics, demonstrating the growing need for awareness and proactive defense against insider threats.
