What It Prices to Rent a Hacker on the Darkish Internet

The Darkish Internet is dwelling to unlawful and felony services and products up on the market — and that definitely encompasses the world of cybercrime. From web site hacking to DDoS assaults to customized malware to altering college grades, you should purchase one in every of these providers from a hacker for rent. However simply how a lot do a majority of these objects price?

On this article, I study numerous sources to indicate you the prices of hiring a hacker on the Darkish Internet. The concept is to not tempt you into a lifetime of crime however to disclose the most recent findings and enhance your cybersecurity data.

SEE: The Darkish Internet: A Information for Enterprise Professionals (Free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Hiring a hacker

Earlier than I study the prices, only a transient phrase on how simple it’s for nefarious people to discover a hacker. In line with analysis from accounting and consulting agency Crowe, “hacker-for-hire providers can be found in abundance on the Darkish Internet.” Funds are often made utilizing cryptocurrency property to offer the best degree of anonymity.

In case you’re questioning how massive the Darkish Internet is, then cybersecurity software program firm Avast explains, “It’s tough to measure darkish net statistics, nevertheless it’s estimated that there are tens of tens of millions of URLs on the darkish net and tens of hundreds of energetic darkish net web sites, together with hundreds of boards and marketplaces.”

These alarming details imply the recruitment course of goes to be pretty simple. There are numerous locations to search out hackers who’re all desperate to do unseemly enterprise.

SEE: Dell Unveils AI and Cybersecurity Options at Microsoft Ignite 2024 (TechRepublic)

DDoS assaults

Hackers who supply distributed denial-of-service assaults can cost as little as $10 or as excessive as $750. Based mostly on information from Privateness Affairs’ Darkish Internet Worth Index 2023, $10 would purchase you  DDoS assaults on an “Unprotected web site, 10-50k requests per second, 1 hour.”

If it had been a “premium protected web site,” then a 24-hour assault would price round $170.

Some hackers will cost by the hour and even by the month to take care of an assault for so long as the client needs.

Sure hackers will change search engine outcomes to lift or decrease a website’s rankings. Others will take away a publish that the client made on a social community. Some hackers will audit an internet site’s safety, seemingly to indicate the proprietor the place any vulnerabilities exist.

SEE: Cybersecurity: Advantages and Finest Practices (TechRepublic Premium)

Private assaults

Hackers specializing in private assaults promote their providers for $10 to over $600. A private assault might embrace monetary sabotage, authorized bother, or public defamation. One tactic touted by a hacker is to border the sufferer as a purchaser of kid pornography. A couple of hackers supply such providers as “scammer revenge” or “fraud monitoring,” during which they assault a scammer.

Evaluation from Crowe, whose workforce encountered a “hacker-for-hire providers menu,” states that having access to private data, addresses, telephone numbers, emails, and family members’ names will, on common, price $600.

The Darkish Internet Worth Index 2023 says a U.S. passport scan might price as little as $50, which is the worth of solid paperwork.

Web site hacking

Web site hacking consists of assaults in opposition to web sites and different providers hosted on-line. Hackers can entry an underlying net server or an internet site’s administrative panel. Others can steal databases and administrative credentials.

Crowe’s investigation reveals that web site and database hacking prices, on common, $1,200. This sort of exercise may entail having access to the admin dashboard or backend.

Pc and telephone hacking

Based mostly on Crowe’s findings, a pc and telephone hacking service runs $950 on common. In any such assault, the hacker breaks into the sufferer’s PC or telephone to steal information or deploy malware. The working system doesn’t appear to matter as they boast that they’ll entry Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS.

SEE: Every little thing You Have to Know in regards to the Malvertising Cybersecurity Menace (TechRepublic Premium)

Social media account hacking

Hacking right into a social media account can vary from $20 to $500+. On this service, the hacker will spy on or hijack accounts from such platforms as WhatsApp, Fb, social platform X, Instagram, Skype, Telegram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit. The malicious exercise is dependent upon the service. Criminals who hack right into a sufferer’s Fb or X account will usually steal credentials to offer the client full entry to the account. Those that faucet into an account from WhatsApp will possible spy on messages or take screenshots.

E mail hacking

In line with Crowe’s information, e-mail hacking sells for $700 on common. On this exercise, the hacker steals the sufferer’s e-mail password after which both offers that password to the client or breaks into the account to entry information. In some instances, the felony could arrange an e-mail forwarded course of to get a duplicate of all of the sufferer’s emails.

SEE: Partaking Executives: How one can Current Cybersecurity in a Means That Resonates (TechRepublic)

Altering grades

College students who desire a increased grade can really pay somebody to hack into a faculty system and alter their grades. Accessible for each grade colleges and universities, this is among the most typical hacking providers and probably the most costly. As a sideline, some hackers additionally say they’ll steal the solutions to future exams. So, meaning a pupil can get an A+ for examination outcomes however an F- for moral conduct.

In line with Crowe, hackers supply entry to databases for grading software program managed by universities. This sort of service isn’t low-cost; the common price is $1,600.

Conclusion

As we are able to see from the vary of threats and remarkably low costs, the risks of hacking require people and companies to stay continually vigilant.

I like to recommend monitoring the Darkish Internet Worth Index, because it’s a helpful useful resource that exhibits trending assaults.

Different actions you may take can embrace worker consciousness coaching, strong antivirus measures, penetration testing, and even using an moral hacker to proactively establish and handle vulnerabilities in your group.

Lastly, and since illumination is our noble intention, sustain with the most recent cybersecurity information at TechRepublic and increase your data with coaching programs at TechRepublic Academy. There’s no purpose to let the Darkish Internet darken the doorstep.