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.
Masked Actors
Defenders: What does it take to orchestrate international takedowns across borders?
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Cybercrime operates at a scale most people never see. A single incident can cost hundreds of millions of pounds, disrupt businesses overnight, or devastate individuals and families. What often follows is a simple question: how do you stop something that moves this fast, across so many borders?
The reality is far from straightforward. Building a case against cybercriminals means tracing activity across jurisdictions, piecing together fragments of digital evidence, and turning intelligence into coordinated action on a global scale. It is detailed, complex work with real-world consequences.
In this episode of Masked Actors, we go inside the world of international cybercrime investigations. Our host, Gary Ruddell, is joined by Craig Jones, Independent Strategic Advisor at Group-IB and former Director of Cybercrime at INTERPOL.
With over four decades in cyber defence, Craig brings a rare perspective from the frontline of global cyber-resilience efforts and shares how law enforcement agencies work together to disrupt criminal networks at scale.
He also joins the podcast as the new co-host of Masked Actors, Season 2.
By understanding who these actors are and how they operate, you can better anticipate threats and protect yourself in an increasingly hostile digital world.
Subscribe to learn more about Group-IB's top 10 Masked Actors - and stay one step ahead in the fight against cybercrime.
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