Economist Podcasts Wrong side of the hack: cybercrime grows
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Oct 14, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Alex Hearn, a Technology correspondent, dives into the alarming rise of cybercrime, detailing how firms like Jaguar Land Rover faced crippling attacks. He explores the evolution of ransomware and its link to cryptocurrency that fuels these crimes. Meanwhile, Tom Gardner, Africa correspondent, addresses the troubling difficulty of accurately counting deaths in conflict-ridden African regions, emphasizing the gap in reliable data. The segment even touches on whether dark chocolate is genuinely beneficial, separating fact from hype.
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Ransomware Has Become Deliberately Destructive
- Ransomware evolved from covert theft to overt crippling attacks that demand payment or continued disruption.
- A small ransom market causes outsized economic damage far exceeding payments received by criminals.
Jaguar Land Rover Shutdown Triggered Big Knock‑On Costs
- Jaguar Land Rover's outage halted production and threatened suppliers, forcing the UK to underwrite a £1.5bn loan to keep firms afloat.
- The incident shows a single cyberattack can cascade into major national economic risk.
Economic Damage Outweighs Ransom Receipts
- Global ransom payments were under $1bn in 2024 yet attacks caused far greater economic harm in many cases.
- Criminals extract value by maximizing disruption, not just ransom sums.