A new study shows how a cybercrime market operates, and offers ways to disrupt it.
For the past two years, researchers collected data on illegal trades taking place in an underground cybercrime forum.
Transactions involved malware, currencies, sexual content, and hacking tutorials and tools.
Estimated trades exceed 6 million dollars.
The study found that the March COVID19 lockdown significantly increased transactions.
People were bored, some unable to go to school, while others became unemployed.
Cybercrime activities promise easy money.
Researchers also found that about 5 per cent of all users were involved in around 70 per cent of all transactions.
Cybersecurity should focus on these few big players rather than going after many users.
Researchers expect to see another rise during a second lockdown, with potentially new trading activities, but they don’t think it will be as large as during the first.
They continue watching the market.
Original article:
Honour among thieves: the study of a cybercrime marketplace in action
Original study:
Turning Up the Dial: the Evolution of a Cybercrime Market through Set-up, Stable, and Covid-19 Eras