Orange Cyberdefense, Europe’s leading provider of cybersecurity services, today releases the documentary film “Don’t Go to the Police”. Directed by Ludoc, the 56-minute film offers a rare look into the hunt for LockBit, one of the most prolific cybercriminal syndicates active between 2019 and 2024. The documentary reconstructs the internal dynamics of this “cyber-mafia” and affiliated hacktivist collectives, revealing the sophistication of modern cybercriminal operations and underscoring the urgent need for better awareness among business leaders and the public.
One click, 350,000 customers affected
The film opens with a ransomware attack that struck France in December 2023. A single click by an employee at Coaxis, a small service provider in Lot-et-Garonne, brought the company’s operations to a standstill and, within days of Christmas, disrupted services for some 350,000 customers across France. The sequence that follows depicts a race against time: experts from Orange Cyberdefense and Coaxis working to contain the incident while LockBit’s operators escalate their attack. The company faces the daunting task of protecting customer data and rebuilding 25 years of IT systems in a matter of weeks.
The digital pandemic from the inside
The documentary also follows the extensive international effort to pursue LockBit. Director Ludoc (co-founder of Studio Bagel) and investigative defense journalist Romain Mielcarek travel from London and New York to Paris, Stockholm and Washington, D.C., interviewing 18 leading experts, including FBI agents and OFAC investigators, as well as Peter Larsson, CTO of Orange Cyberdefense Sweden. Their reporting paints a global picture of organized cybercrime and the cross-border collaboration required to confront it.
By exploring the financial, psychological and societal impacts of ransomware incidents, “Don’t Go to the Police” makes a compelling case that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. From citizens and employees to CEOs and organizations, everyone has a role to play in building resilient digital defenses.
56 minutes to understand the threat
Visual storytelling can clarify complex threats more effectively than technical jargon. The documentary aims to shift public understanding of cyber risk and emphasize realistic precautions. Despite growing awareness, ransomware extortion rose sharply in 2025, increasing pressure on economies, democratic institutions and public trust. Phishing—now amplified by artificial intelligence—remains one of the most effective and widespread attack vectors, exploiting human error and automated tools alike.
“Our ambition is to bring cybersecurity out of its ‘expert bubble’ and show the public that it is a vital societal issue, comparable to drug trafficking,” says Kåre Nordström, Head of Orange Cyberdefense Sweden. By putting faces to a reality that is often misunderstood, we want to make clear that basic digital hygiene is no longer optional but essential for everyone. Together we must build cybersecurity that protects our economies and democratic systems.”
In addition to a special screening in Stockholm, the film is available here: https://dontgotothepolice.orangecyberdefense.com/se