Masked Actors

True crime meets cybercrime. Discover the people behind the keyboard.

From Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) gangs to global financial crime syndicates, the rise of sophisticated cyber threats is reshaping the world. These aren’t lone hackers — they’re organized groups running multi-million dollar operations in the shadows.

In the Masked Actors podcast, cyber threat expert and former soldier turned hacker Gary Ruddell joins forces with Nick Palmer, a seasoned financial crime fighter, to investigate the top 10 most dangerous cybercriminal groups of 2025 — drawn from Group-IB’s High-Tech Crime Trends Report.

Each episode explores the tactics, motivations, and impact of major cybercrime groups, uncovering their role in the latest cybercrime, RaaS, and financial crime trends. You’ll learn how these actors exploit vulnerabilities, fuel geopolitical tension, and affect businesses and consumers alike.

Tune in to Masked Actors — and stay one step ahead of cybercrime.

Guest

Fergus Hay

Fergus Hay is the Founder & CEO of The Hacking Games, a media and talent enterprise on a mission to inspire a generation of ethical hackers to defend against the $23.8 trillion cybercrime threat projected by 2027.

He is also Founder of growth and marketing advisory firm Elysian Fields, Venture Partner at Blue Lion Global VC, and serves on the advisory boards of NUOS and Ryse Asset Management.

Previously, he was CEO of Leagas Delaney, driving the agency’s rise from #55 to #3 for growth in the UK, and held senior roles at Ogilvy, where he led global clients and ran Asia’s largest social media agency.

An industry expert and regular commentator for BBC World News, Sky News, and NBC Euronews, he holds an EMBA from NYU Stern, LSE, and HEC Paris.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fergus-hay-013a41/?originalSubdomain=uk

Guest appearance on:

Joystick to Jailbreak: Exploring the Youth Cybercrime Pandemic