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A hacker’s toolkit, shocking what you can buy on Dark Web for a few bucks
Cybercriminals are more active than ever. Phishing attacks, ransomware, and data breaches have been ramping up the last few years and threatening our digital lives like never before.
These crimes are rampant partly because criminals are more sophisticated with their tech knowledge. Another reason is a hacker’s toolkit is so easily available on the Dark Web. You’ll be shocked to find out what you can purchase for only a few dollars.
How the Dark Web enables cybercriminals
Researchers with Cybersecurity Ventures say the global cost of cybercrime will double, from $3 trillion in 2015 to $6 trillion in 2021. Making matters worse are tools being sold by hackers on the Dark Web. These tools help anyone pull off cybercrimes, even if they are not tech savvy.
A former consultant for the FBI scoured the Dark Web to see what was being sold. Here are some of the cybercrime price lists that he compiled for “Fortune”:
Malware
- Remote Access Trojan $200
- Password stealer $50
Ransomware
- Sophisticated license for widespread attacks $200
- Unsophisticated license for targeted attacks $50
- PC malware installation $1
- 1 million malicious spam $400
Software
- Remote desktop control tool $100
- Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack software $700
Payment and login info
- Credit/debit card for online use $5
- Credit/debit card info that can be cloned on plastic $10
- Bank account login (username and password) $5
- Bank account login with access to email, security answers etc. $25
- Existing PayPal account $1
Personal information
- Social Security and date of birth verification $3
- Credit report 750+ credit score $150
Database records
- 1 million compromised email/passwords $25
Hacking services
- Email account $100
- Social media account $100
- CMS website (WordPress, etc.) $300
User Obfuscation
- Bulletproof hosting in a lax jurisdiction (China, Eastern Europe, etc.) $150
- Virtual private network (VPN) $20
Malware services
- PC malware installation $1
- Malicious file encryption $25
Spam
- 500 SMS (Flooding) $20
- 500 malicious email spam $400
- 500 phone calls (Flooding) $20
- 1 million email spam (legal) $200
Fake documents
- Digital copy of fake credit/debit card $25
- Digital copy of fake driver’s license or passport $25
- Digital copy of fake utility bill or Social Security card $15
As you can see by the list, criminals can purchase basic malware for just $1. With these nasty resources available to anyone, what chances do we really have of staying protected?
Don’t know what the Dark Web is? Here’s an in-depth article explaining everything you need to know
No matter how many websites you visit, comments you post, photos you share, videos you watch and forums you join, you’re barely scratching the surface of what’s out there on the internet. Where is the rest of this content hiding? Here’s everything you need to know about the Deep and Dark Web.
Click here to see what the Dark Web is and why it matters.
Tags: cybercriminals, cybersecurity, malware, security
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