The Bottom Line, The Bottom Line, Cyber Attacks: On The Front Line Of A Hack

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

Cyber Attacks: On The Front Line Of A Hack

June 19, 2025

40 minutes

Available for over a year

Cyber criminals have seriously damaged some household names recently - M&S, Co-op, North Face, Harrods - but what really happens behind the scenes when a business is hacked?

Evan Davis speaks to the former head of information security at Royal Mail about the major attack it suffered in 2023 - from the initial alert and the eye-watering ransom demand, to the media leak and the long, slow rebuild.

Plus, how should you negotiate with hackers, how sophisticated have they become, and how do they choose their victims?

Evan is joined by:

Jon Staniforth, former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Royal Mail;

Lisa Forte, founder and partner, Red Goat.

Production team:

Producer: Simon Tulett

Editor: Matt Willis

Sound: Nathan Chamberlain and James Beard

Production co-ordinator: Sophie Hill and Janet Staples