Hackers' bazaar raises threats to security

[Audrey McNeil <audrey () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://www.emirates247.com/business/technology/hackers-bazaar-raises-threats-to-security-2014-08-17-1.559820

Black and grey 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 study.

One dramatic example is the December 2013 breach of retail giant Target, in
which data from approximately 40 million credit cards and 70 million user
accounts was stolen. Within days, that data appeared — available for
purchase — on black market websites.

“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 organised,” said Lillian Ablon, lead author of the study and an
information systems analyst at Rand, a non-profit research organisation.

“In certain respects, cybercrime can be more lucrative and easier to carry
out than the drug trade,” she added.

The growth in cybercrime has been assisted by sophisticated and specialised
markets that freely deal in the tools and the spoils of cybercrime. These
include items such as exploit kits (software tools that can help create,
distribute, and manage attacks on systems), botnets (a group of compromised
computers remotely controlled by a central authority that can be used to
send spam or flood websites), as-a-service models (hacking for hire) and
the fruits of cybercrime, including stolen credit card numbers and
compromised hosts.

In the wake of several highly-publicised arrests and an increase in the
ability of law enforcement agencies to take down some markets, access to
many of these black markets has become more restricted, with cybercriminals
vetting potential partners before offering access to upper levels. That
said, once in, there is very low barrier to entry to participate and
profit, according to the report.

Rand researchers conducted more than two dozen interviews with cyber
security and related experts, including academics, security researchers,
news reporters, security vendors and law enforcement officials. The study
outlines the characteristics of cybercrime black markets, with additional
consideration given to botnets and their role in the black market, and
“zero-day” vulnerabilities (software bugs that are unknown to vendors and
without a software patch).

Researchers also examine various projections and predictions of how the
black market may evolve.  What makes these black markets notable is their
resilience and sophistication, Ablon said.

“Even as consumers and businesses have fortified their activities in
reaction to security threats, cybercriminals have adapted. An increase in
law enforcement arrests has resulted in hackers going after bigger targets.
More and more crimes have a digital component,” she said.

The Rand study says there will be more activity in “darknets,” 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.

“Helped by such markets, the ability to attack will likely outpace the
ability to defend.  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,”  Ablon said.

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