‘Four Corners’ Is Finally Getting to the Bottom of Just Who Is Stealing All Our Data

Australia is currently facing a significant cyber threat and it only appears to be getting worse. Virtually every month, some major organisation is hacked and the private data of thousands, if not millions, of people is compromised.

While the Australian government has toughened penalties for companies that don’t handle public data properly, there has been little to no serious response to these attacks that pose a significant threat to our privacy and online safety.

One of the biggest questions when it comes to these attacks is just who the hell is doing them and why? On Monday, 17 April, ABC’s investigative show Four Corners seeks to answer just that.

The episode, called “Hackers Inc: Chasing the cybercrime syndicates attacking Australia,” sees reporter John Lyons lead the investigation as he delves into the criminal syndicate responsible for one of Australia’s largest-ever data breaches.

In his search, Lyons explores the murky world of highly-organised cyber gangs, often based in Russia, with their own HR departments and dozens of employees.

“Global cybercrime is the third biggest economy in the world,” one expert states in the trailer for the show.

Lyons takes viewers on a journey from Canberra to Ukraine, where he discovers that Australians are at the forefront of the fight against hackers. It is evident that the two countries are battling a common enemy attacking them through cyberspace.

The episode promises to take viewers inside the operations fighting a silent parallel cyber war, highlighting the severity of the issue. The programme will also seek to discover just what can be done to stop these hackers from continuing their cybercrime sprees.

The investigative show’s upcoming episode is not just timely, but it is also significant, given the recent cyber-attacks in the country. Last year, the Australian Government reported that the country was experiencing an increase in cybercrime due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in online activity has created more opportunities for cybercriminals to attack.

Don’t miss Four Corners Hackers Inc on ABC TV and ABC iview at 8:30 pm on Monday, 17 April.