Criminal Minds: How the Cyber Crime World Works

Sun Tzu wrote that if you know your enemy and yourself then you need not fear the outcome of all your battles. In this episode, we discuss the enemy, how they work, how the larger gangs are set up and the dangers of large, organised cybercrime gangs vs the smaller gangs. We also take a look at how they chose a target and why.   And for this, we have been joined by two new guests today - Richard Cassidy, Cyber Security Consultant and Victor Acin, leader of the Kraken Labs unit at Outpost24. Further, Richard and Victor shared an analysis of ongoing cyber attacks from a psychological perspective and a history of ransomware attacks.    You can listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform.   If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].  In this episode, we covered the following topics:  What kind of cybercriminals are there, and what are their motives? An analysis of ongoing cyber attacks from a psychological perspective History of ransomware attacks  Changing mindsets of cyber criminals and their attack methods  GUEST BIOS -    Richard Cassidy Richard Cassidy has been consulting businesses on cybersecurity strategies and programs for more than two decades. During his career Richard has been heavily engaged in the design and implementation of infrastructure & cyber security solutions, helping organizations in evolving security, compliance, risk management, data assurance, automation, orchestration and breach response practices.  Richard has led major breach investigations across CNI (Critical National Infrastructure), Finance, Military and Educational institutions over the past decade, with specific expertise in financial fraud investigations on SWIFT payment networks. Richard is an active industry contributor, regularly delivering speaker sessions at events including SANS, BlackHat, IP Expo, InfoSec, FS-ISAC and security seminars EMEA-wide. Victor Acin Victor Acin has been working in threat intelligence since 2016 and is now leading the Kraken Labs unit at Outpost24, performing tasks related to the generation of threat intelligence (mainly reverse engineering of malicious samples and research of global actors), and the development of the department's internal products, such as the malware analysis sandbox. In addition, he has also worked as an ethical hacker, performing penetration tests against web applications, external and internal infrastructure, and mobile devices.    Connect with Your host James Rees  Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cybersecurity professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult. Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights. With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.  Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].  If you need a consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com. We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.  Linkedin: Razorthorn Security Youtube: Razorthorn Security Twitter:  @RazorThornLTD Website: www.razorthorn.com All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025