90% of Website Hacking Ads Are Requests for a Hacker for Hire
Experts from Positive Technologies analyzed the ten most active darknet forums offering website hacking services, as well as the buying and selling of databases and access to web resources. These forums have over 8,000 registered users, more than 7,000,000 topics, and over 80,000,000 posts.
The analysis revealed that in 90% of cases, posts on forums dedicated to website hacking are requests from individuals seeking a hacker who can provide access to a resource or extract a user database. Only 7% of posts offer hacking services. The remaining posts promote hacking tools and services or seek like-minded individuals interested in hacking.
Service offers are typically posted by service owners or hacker groups. These do not accurately reflect supply and demand, as they are often posted only once. The true demand for these services can only be roughly estimated by looking at individual user requests from those who, for various reasons, did not use the advertised services.
“Since March 2020, we have seen a growing interest in website hacking,” says Positive Technologies analyst Yana Yurakova. “This is evidenced by the increase in ads on darknet forums. The trend may be linked to the rise in the number of companies moving online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations that previously operated offline were forced to go online to retain customers and profits, and cybercriminals took advantage of this situation.”
Trends in Website Hacking Requests
According to the study, in 69% of website hacking cases, the main goal is to gain access to a web resource. Attackers may not only steal confidential information but also sell access to web applications to so-called buyers. The second most popular request (21% of ads) is for user or client databases from targeted resources. Competitors and spammers are especially interested in this information, as they use it to compile targeted mailing lists for specific audiences. Custom databases can cost up to $20,000, according to the analysis.
Hackers are also sometimes sought to place malware on a website (4% of ads) or to hack a site in order to delete specific data (3% of ads).
Popular Targets and Methods
Among the most in-demand and frequently traded accesses are those to online store websites, with prices ranging from $50 to $2,000. Experts believe this is because customers enter their bank card details when making purchases. Hackers can inject malicious JavaScript into a site to intercept this information and use it for fraudulent purposes. Another way to profit is by gaining privileged access to an online store, allowing the hacker to place orders using stolen card data or without paying at all.