Book & podcast collection

Dark Screens: Hackers and Heroes in the Shadowy World of Ransomware

byAnja Shortland

Anja Shortland examines ransomware as a criminal economy built around stolen data, disrupted organizations, and negotiations under pressure. Through accounts of major attacks and the people involved, she explores how hackers, insurers, security specialists, and public authorities respond when computer systems are held hostage. The book links individual incidents to wider vulnerabilities in hospitals, businesses, and infrastructure, while showing how cybercrime can overlap with state conflict. Shortland considers the incentives that sustain extortion and the choices that might make institutions more resilient, turning a technical threat into a story about trust, power, and human behavior.

Publisher

PublicAffairs

Publication date

2026-04-28

Format

Hardcover

Pages

288

ISBN

9781541705753