The Underworld of Cybercrime, the Darknet

Have you ever wondered how hackers become hackers in the first place? How are tools readily available to them? Business owners might be reluctant to find out that hacking has become easier than ever over the past decade. This is partly due to the increased sophistication of the black market known to some as the Darknet.

In your browsing experiences, you may have found yourself viewing some ugly parts of the Internet. The truth of the matter, however, is that the crime-infested underworld of the Internet isn’t as “rough-and-tumble” as you might guess. In contrast to the Internet and the legal technology industry, the Darknet is a place where hacking software is sold through a sophisticated and user-friendly interface.

Think of it like an Amazon for illegal hacking software and the purchase of credit card information. What started as a small group of hackers has turned into a well-funded, organized institution. Even if what they do is highly illegal and dangerous to the majority of the Internet inhabitants, one has to admire the rate of change they have brought about in the past decade. Just to put it in perspective, take a look at some of these statistics that show just how affordable it can be to become a hacker.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that Macro Systems is not soliciting illegal behavior. Rather, we’re showing that anyone can become a hacker, and that proper security measures must be taken to protect your business from this increasingly popular trend.

• In the United Kingdom alone, cybercrime is more lucrative than the illegal drug trade: The Cabinet Office reports that cybercrime is worth £27 billion per year, compared to the drug trade’s £10 billion per year. According to Forbes, “This is largely because with cyber crime, the links to end users are more direct and the relative ease of worldwide distribution in comparison to the expanse of shipping physical products, such as drugs.”
• In China, mobile spamming kits can be rented per year for anywhere between $2,500 to $36,000. This type of “all-in-one” spamming kit is a common scam in China, and is surprisingly sophisticated. Some companies allow mobile users to subscribe to premium text services, which are normally activated by sending a confirmation text. This spamming tool automatically sends the confirmation text, then deletes the message to cover its tracks. All of this is automatic and requires minimum criminal interaction.
• Exploit kits to hack into servers or personal computers can be rented for anywhere between $500 to $10,000 per month. This depends on the quality of the kit purchased.
• Similarly, you can even hire a hacker for $16 to $325 per hour, depending on the size of the target.

Criminal Software Isn’t Much Different from Enterprise Software
Not only are these solutions cheap for most aspiring hackers, the kits don’t require incredible amounts of technical knowledge to exploit. In fact, just like normal software services, equipment purchased through the Darknet offers technical support and storage space. Some vendors even offer guarantees that their malware will remain undetected, and these vendors can track what their customer is using the malware for so as to not break their terms of use.

You don’t want to take chances when it comes to your business, especially with cybercrime and threats on the rise. What you need is an all-purpose security solution for your business’s network. A Unified Threat Management solution (UTM) from Macro Systems can keep your network as safe as can be. The UTM is a device which installs onto your network or virtual machine which provides powerful security solutions, including a firewall, strong antivirus, and spam-blocking solutions. Your worries will be minimal for both inexperienced hackers and professionals alike. For more information, give us a call at (703) 359-9211.