The Darkish Net is residence to unlawful and prison services and products up on the market — and that actually encompasses the world of cybercrime. From web site hacking to DDoS assaults to customized malware to altering faculty grades, you should purchase one in all these providers from a hacker for rent. However simply how a lot do all these objects price?
On this article, I study varied sources to point out you the prices of hiring a hacker on the Darkish Net. The concept is to not tempt you into a lifetime of crime however to disclose the most recent findings and enhance your cybersecurity information.
SEE: The Darkish Net: A Information for Enterprise Professionals (Free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Hiring a hacker
Earlier than I study the prices, only a transient phrase on how straightforward it’s for nefarious people to discover a hacker. In response to analysis from accounting and consulting agency Crowe, “hacker-for-hire providers can be found in abundance on the Darkish Net.” Funds are often made utilizing cryptocurrency belongings to offer the best degree of anonymity.
If you happen to’re questioning how large the Darkish Net is, then cybersecurity software program firm Avast explains, “It’s tough to measure darkish internet statistics, but it surely’s estimated that there are tens of hundreds of thousands of URLs on the darkish internet and tens of 1000’s of energetic darkish internet web sites, together with 1000’s of boards and marketplaces.”
These alarming info imply the recruitment course of goes to be pretty straightforward. There are lots of locations to search out hackers who’re all desirous to do unseemly enterprise.
SEE: Dell Unveils AI and Cybersecurity Options at Microsoft Ignite 2024 (TechRepublic)
DDoS assaults
Hackers who supply distributed denial-of-service assaults can cost as little as $10 or as excessive as $750. Based mostly on knowledge from Privateness Affairs’ Darkish Net Worth Index 2023, $10 would purchase you DDoS assaults on an “Unprotected web site, 10-50k requests per second, 1 hour.”
If it have been a “premium protected web site,” then a 24-hour assault would price round $170.
Some hackers will cost by the hour and even by the month to take care of an assault for so long as the customer needs.
Sure hackers will change search engine outcomes to boost or decrease a website’s rankings. Others will take away a submit that the customer made on a social community. Some hackers will audit a web site’s safety, seemingly to point out the proprietor the place any vulnerabilities exist.
SEE: Cybersecurity: Advantages and Finest Practices (TechRepublic Premium)
Private assaults
Hackers specializing in private assaults promote their providers for $10 to over $600. A private assault may embody monetary sabotage, authorized bother, or public defamation. One tactic touted by a hacker is to border the sufferer as a purchaser of kid pornography. Just a few hackers supply such providers as “scammer revenge” or “fraud monitoring,” by which they assault a scammer.
Evaluation from Crowe, whose group encountered a “hacker-for-hire providers menu,” states that having access to private info, addresses, cellphone numbers, emails, and kinfolk’ names will, on common, price $600.
The Darkish Net Worth Index 2023 says a U.S. passport scan may price as little as $50, which is the value of cast paperwork.
Web site hacking
Web site hacking consists of assaults in opposition to web sites and different providers hosted on-line. Hackers can entry an underlying internet server or a web site’s administrative panel. Others can steal databases and administrative credentials.
Crowe’s investigation reveals that web site and database hacking prices, on common, $1,200. This sort of exercise may entail having access to the admin dashboard or backend.
Pc and cellphone hacking
Based mostly on Crowe’s findings, a pc and cellphone hacking service runs $950 on common. In the sort of assault, the hacker breaks into the sufferer’s PC or cellphone to steal knowledge or deploy malware. The working system doesn’t appear to matter as they boast that they’ll entry Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS.
SEE: Every part You Must Know in regards to the Malvertising Cybersecurity Menace (TechRepublic Premium)
Social media account hacking
Hacking right into a social media account can vary from $20 to $500+. On this service, the hacker will spy on or hijack accounts from such platforms as WhatsApp, Fb, social platform X, Instagram, Skype, Telegram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit. The malicious exercise relies on the service. Criminals who hack right into a sufferer’s Fb or X account will typically steal credentials to offer the customer full entry to the account. Those that faucet into an account from WhatsApp will possible spy on messages or take screenshots.
E mail hacking
In response to Crowe’s knowledge, e mail hacking sells for $700 on common. On this exercise, the hacker steals the sufferer’s e mail password after which both provides that password to the customer or breaks into the account to entry knowledge. In some instances, the prison might arrange an e mail forwarded course of to get a duplicate of all of the sufferer’s emails.
SEE: Participating Executives: Tips on how to Current Cybersecurity in a Approach That Resonates (TechRepublic)
Altering grades
College students who need a increased grade can truly pay somebody to hack into a faculty system and alter their grades. Obtainable for each grade colleges and universities, this is among the most typical hacking providers and one of the vital costly. As a sideline, some hackers additionally say they’ll steal the solutions to future exams. So, which means a pupil can get an A+ for examination outcomes however an F- for moral conduct.
In response to Crowe, hackers supply entry to databases for grading software program managed by universities. This sort of service isn’t low-cost; the common price is $1,600.
Conclusion
As we are able to see from the vary of threats and remarkably low costs, the risks of hacking require people and companies to stay consistently vigilant.
I like to recommend monitoring the Darkish Net Worth Index, because it’s a helpful useful resource that exhibits trending assaults.
Different actions you’ll be able to take can embody worker consciousness coaching, strong antivirus measures, penetration testing, and even using an moral hacker to proactively establish and handle vulnerabilities in your group.
Lastly, and since illumination is our noble intention, sustain with the most recent cybersecurity information at TechRepublic and increase your information with coaching programs at TechRepublic Academy. There’s no motive to let the Darkish Net darken the doorstep.
