Introduction
In recent years, the role of hackers has changed; in the past, these professionals were seen as dangerous criminals who needed to be kept at arm's length; meanwhile, today they are in high demand by private companies, intelligence agencies and criminal groups.
Hacking " services "are among the most attractive items on the underground market, and you can hire a hacker to request a" realistic " penetration test, or pay to hack your Gmail or Facebook account for cyber espionage purposes. Recently, Business Insider journalists published a report describing the prices of basic hacking services that can be purchased online. According to Business Insider, a person who wants to hack someone's Gmail account will have to pay about $ 90. For example, hackers can be hired to hack into a social media account, and the cost of hacking a Facebook account is $ 350. An investigation by reporters found that a hacker could steal someone's Hilton Honor (Hotel booking reward) points for $ 15 or compromise a NetFlix account for as little as $ 1.25. Other common items in hacking on DeepWeb are hacker courses, which sell for $ 20. They tell you how to find the main vulnerabilities of sites, DDoS or damage to the website.
There are various ways to buy hacking services, and perhaps the most interesting place to meet members of the main hacker communities is DeepWeb.
The number of hacker communities in DeepWeb is very large, as reported by many studies published by security companies and cyber experts: hackforum, Trojanforge, Mazafaka, dark0de.
Most hacker communities are closed to the public, and an invitation is required to join discussions. In many cases, these groups specialize their activities in specific topics and tasks (for example, social media hacking, data theft, malware and exploits, as well as attacks, etc. (i.e. DDoS, website hacking).
Among the invitation-only communities, there are several flumes, such as the popular Trojanforge, which specializes in malware and code modification.
Based on the results of a study conducted by experts in the Dell Trust Works Counter Threat Unit (CTU), we will learn how the dynamics and development trend of hacker communities in the deep web is changing. In 2013, experts from the Dell Protect Threat Unit (CTU) published a very interesting report called "The Underground Hacking Economy is Alive and Well", which examined the online market for" stolen data " and hacker services. The study lists items sold on black markets and the costs associated with them. A year later, the same team of researchers at Dell SecureWorks released an update for studying black markets called "Underground Hacker Markets", which reports on a number of notable trends.
Researchers have observed a growing interest in personal data, particularly any documentation that could be used as a second form of authentication, including passports, driver's licenses, social security numbers, and even utility bills. Another distinctive element of the evolution of underground markets in the past year is the "Hacker Tutorials" offer, as this type of product still represents an element of attraction in the hacker community.
The tutorials provide instructions for criminals and hackers who want to enter the carding business, information on launching exploit kits, guides on organizing spam and phishing campaigns, and tutorials on how to organize and launch DDoS attacks. Other tutorials offered in hacker communities include instructions on how to hack ATMs and cash out dirty money.
The results of a study conducted by Dell experts confirm the results of another interesting report published by TrendMicro on the activities in the Brazilian Deep Web, which is characterized by the presence of a significant number of similar products and services. Hacker communities are very active in selling stolen credit cards to reach a wider audience and provide specialized services at higher prices. The following table I found lists services and products with corresponding prices, expressed in both Bitcoin and euros.
Hiring hackers on the Tor network
I am very surprised by the number of offers from hackers who advertise their services on various hacker forums in Deepweb. Experts that you will find in many hacker communities can help you pass a penetration test on your site or exploit known flaws on vulnerable sites that you want to "test".
Let's start our tour with the site "Rent-A-Hacker"; it seems to be run by one hacker who writes the following about himself:
"An experienced hacker offers his services! (Illegal) hacking and social engineering is my thing, since I started doing it at the age of 16 and never had a real job, so I had time to do a great job on hacking and made a good amount of money for +20 years to come. I used to work with other people, but now I also offer my services to anyone who has enough money. Everyone with enough money."
The hacker explains that he is a professional in his field, specializing in illegal hacking services; suggests "destroying business or people's lives." Reading its description, it seems to specialize in site hacking and probably operates a botnet that it offers for DDoS attacks. The hacker also explains that he can conduct a campaign of espionage and monitor activity on the Internet. Among the services offered by them, there is also a collection for any person's personal information, one way or another, each step can be performed at an hourly rate, which is about $ 100. Prices depend on many factors, including the complexity of the task assigned to the expert Advisor. Of course, payments are anonymous and made through cryptocurrencies.
The next site is heLL. The web portal contains several sections related to hacking tools, tutorials, and, of course, it is filled with hackers offering their services.
What can we find on the Deep Web?
DeepWeb is a "hidden reality" where you can find all kinds of illegal products and services. Black markets are places in DeepWeb where sellers offer their illegal goods and services, including drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods, stolen goods, credit cards, access to bank accounts, fake identity cards and related documents, various accounts, human trafficking, organs, hacking services.
The market for hackers inside the deep web thrives on the anonymity offered by the communication protocols implemented in this part of the Internet.
As we can see, it is not so difficult to hire a hacker in the numerous black markets available on the Deep Web, especially when someone needs simple tasks. The situation is quite different when you are looking for a professional hacking team; these groups usually use different channels to communicate with a limited number of clients. Another consideration is that most of the services offered through multiple hidden services are scams, and in many cases hackers may not be able to complete their tasks.
For this reason, users who intend to hire a hacker usually refer to black markets because of the reputation mechanisms they implement. Another reflection is that the prices of various hacking services are quite similar between different forums or hacker communities, which allows us to track the evolution and trends in Deepweb. For example, price fluctuations can be caused by the sudden availability of a product in a criminal ecosystem. This information is extremely valuable for law enforcement agencies and for those who constantly monitor criminal groups and their activities.
