Hacker are Increasing their Black Markets

Most of the cybercrimes has been assisted by sophisticated and specialized markets that freely deal in the tools and the spoils of cybercrime, such as exploit kits, botnets and stolen credit card numbers.

Hacking used to be an activity that was mainly carried out by individuals working alone, but over the last 15 years the world of hacking has become more organized and reliable.

In certain respects, cybercrime can be more lucrative and easier to carry out than the illegal drug trade. Black and gray markets for computer hacking tools, services and byproducts such as stolen credit card numbers continue to expand, creating an increasing threat to businesses, governments and individuals, according to a new RAND Corp. study.

The growth in cybercrime has been assisted by sophisticated and specialized markets that freely deal in the tools and the spoils of cybercrime.

RAND researchers conducted more than two dozen interviews with cybersecurity and related experts, including academics, security researchers, news reporters, security vendors and law enforcement officials. 

The study outlines the characteristics of the cybercrime black markets, with additional consideration given to botnets and their role in the black market, and "zero-day" vulnerabilities. 

Researchers also examine various projections and predictions for how the black market may evolve.

According to RAND more activity in darknets and more checking and vetting of participants, more use of crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin, greater anonymity capabilities in malware, and more attention to encrypting and protecting communications and transactions.

Hyper -connectivity will create more points of presence for attack and exploitation so that crime increasingly will have a networked or cyber component, creating a wider range of opportunities for black markets. 

Exploitations of social networks and mobile devices will continue to grow. There will be more hacking-for-hire, as-a-service offerings and cybercrime brokers.

However, experts disagree on who will be the most affected by the growth of the black market, what products will be on the rise and which types of attacks will be more prevalent.

Author Venkatesh Yalagandula Follow us Google + and Facebook and Twitter