The Bookseller – Rights – Elliott & Thompson publishes gripping true crime book by BBC cyber correspondent Joe Tidy

Elliott & Thompson snapped up BBC cyber correspondent Joe Tidy’s “insightful” new book Ctrl+Alt+Chaos: How teenage hackers are hijacking the Internet.

Publisher Katie Bond acquired the worldwide English rights from Caroline Hardman at Hardman & Swainson. The book will be published in print and digital on 5 June 2025, with simultaneous audiobook release from WF Howes in the UK and Commonwealth. Hardman & Swainson also had early translation interest and Bazar Kustannus has secured the Finnish rights.

In the book, the author reveals “the dark underbelly of the digital economy, where teenagers are reshaping cybersecurity, cryptocurrencies and organized crime under the watchful eye of their parents.”

The summary states: “Ctrl+Alt+Chaos is a gripping true crime story about the life and crimes of Julius Kivimaki, aka Zeekill, arguably the most hated hacker in history (…) Kivimaki’s journey from 12-year-old pesky hacker to most wanted cybercriminal culminated in his arrest in 2023 for the most gruesome hack in history, when he blackmailed 30,000 Finnish psychotherapy patients with their stolen notes. Kivimaki’s journey gives us important insights into how hackers emerge on the internet.”

Tidy said: “I have covered some of the most devastating cyberattacks in history, but nothing comes close to the callous cruelty of the Vastaamo hack. What drove 12-year-old Julius Kivimaki AKA Zeekill to become the most wanted and hated cybercriminal? Zeekill was not created in a vacuum and in Ctrl+Alt+Chaos We’ll delve deep into the subculture of teen hacking to find out how he and so many other boys hone their skills in secret online communities.”

Bond commented: “Ctrl+Alt+Chaos reads like a techno-thriller that combines expert knowledge with narrative skill while offering insights into the power dynamics of our digital world.”