OSINT Methods For Profiling Cybercriminals

IdentityForce offers a free trial with Equifax credit scores, three-bureau credit alerts, and dark web scans; another great choice is ID Watchdog’s comprehensive package for just $14/month, earning excellent user reviews. The report is based on a three-month dark web investigation, scraping and analyzing over 35 million cybercriminal marketplaces and forum posts to understand how cybercriminals operate, gain trust and build reputation. Also, foreign potential hidden agendas and intentions have also impacted the overall cybersecurity landscape. State-sponsored cyber-attacks originating from the dark web have become a growing concern, with governments and organizations being targeted for political, economic, or military gain. These attacks can have far-reaching consequences, including disruption of critical infrastructure, theft of intellectual property, and compromise of national security. Just as many criminals took their businesses online for the first time, the mass shift to working from home compromised organisations’ cybersecurity levels, creating a perfect cyberstorm.

Predictions, Episode 2: Healthcare Cyberthreats

The Anatomy Of The PII Black Market

How Do Cybercriminals Use Darknet Markets?

Darknet markets, also known as cryptomarkets, are online marketplaces that operate on the dark web. These markets are often used by cybercriminals to buy and sell illegal goods and services, such as drugs, weapons, and stolen data. In this article, we will explore how cybercriminals use darknet markets and what steps law enforcement agencies are taking to combat this illegal activity.

What Are Darknet Markets?

• Sellers also offer modified Android apps that could be specifically customized to work as data stealer.
• This ensures credit reporting agencies will not provide your credit report if anyone tries to open a new loan or credit card account in your name.6.
• According to the experts at Kaspersky Lab, Russian criminal organizations have stolen roughly $790 Million over three years (from 2012 to 2015), more than $500 million of that is from victims located outside the Russian.
• Also, criminals are increasingly using databases of stolen employee mobile phone numbers to attack employer networks.

However, we must identify each document keyword and its related references (Aria and Cuccurullo 2017). All the analyses indicated in the following were carried out with the open-source R package bibliometrics via the Biblioshiny software. Table 1 shows the timeline, sources, annual scientific production, average citations per year, and references.

Unfortunately, this same benefit is also useful for criminals, who routinely leverage the dark web to peddle illegal or stolen goods, obtain malware or other malicious tools, and coordinate their nefarious activities. The earliest recorded case of ransomware was the AIDS Trojan, which was released in the late 1980s. Now, in 2023, ransomware is considered the greatest cybersecurity threat due to the frequency and severity of attacks. In 2021, the Internet Crimes Complaint Center received over 3,000 ransomware reports totaling $49.2 million in losses. These attacks are especially problematic from a national security perspective since hackers aggressively target critical infrastructure such as the healthcare industry, energy sector, and government institutions.

The rationale behind choosing the Scopus database for sourcing bibliographic data in this study primarily rests on its capacity to meet stringent quality standards for indexation. Moreover, Scopus enjoys popularity due to its comprehensive are darknet markets still a thing coverage, encompassing a wide spectrum of journals spanning diverse subject areas. It’s worth noting that Scopus stands out as the foremost citation and abstract database and serves as the most widely employed search [30,37,38].

Darknet markets are websites that can only be accessed using special software, such as the Tor browser. These markets are designed to provide anonymity to both buyers and sellers, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track and prosecute illegal activity. Darknet markets typically use cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, for transactions, further adding to the anonymity of the market.

How Do Cybercriminals Use Darknet Markets?

• Buying and Selling Illegal Goods and Services: Cybercriminals use darknet markets to buy and sell illegal goods and services, such as drugs, weapons, and stolen data. These markets provide a convenient and anonymous platform for cybercriminals to conduct illegal transactions.
• Money Laundering: Darknet markets are also used for money laundering. Cybercriminals can use these markets to convert how to buy cocaine their illicit gains into cryptocurrencies, which can then be converted back into traditional currency through exchanges.
• Recruiting Other Cybercriminals: Darknet markets are also used for recruiting other cybercriminals. Cybercriminals can use these dark web silk road markets to find other criminals with specific skills, such as hacking or programming, to help them carry out their illegal activities.

How Are Darknet Markets Being Combat?

Law enforcement agencies around the world are taking steps to combat illegal activity on darknet markets. These steps include:

• Monitoring Darknet Markets:

  How do I know if I am on the dark web?

  How Do You Know if Your Information Is on the Dark Web? If your data is available on the dark web, one of the easiest ways to find out is to check the “Have I Been Pwned” (HIBP) website. It’s a free service, and all you have to do is conduct a search using your email address or phone number.

  Who controls the dark web?

  The dark web is also unregulated, meaning that it is run and upheld by a vast network of individuals around the world. This network contains thousands of volunteers who operate proxy servers to route dark web requests.

  What is darknet in cyber security?

  The Dark Web(also called The Dark Net) is a network within the Internet which is only accessible using certain software and protocols. The Dark Web has many names, for example Tor Network or Onion Router. Anyone can access to the Dark Web by simply downloading software for it.