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Hacked Networks And Credentials Being Sold At Alarming Rates

By October 22, 2020May 5th, 2022Cybersecurity

Selling network access is big business on underground hacking websites. Even worse, the business is growing at an alarming rate, according to a report recently published by cyber security firm KELA.

According to their report, the number of ads found on hacking forums advertising ‘Network Access’ tripled between August and September, 2020.

The value of the login credentials sold during the most recent month was valued at more than half a million dollars.

Ads like these have been a staple of hacking forums for years, but they gained a tremendous amount of popularity in mid 2019, when a number of vulnerabilities in major networks around the world were disclosed.

Hackers around the world were quick to pounce, often attacking vulnerable networks. Once a network had been breached, the next logical step from the perspective of the hackers, was to figure out how to monetize the access they had gained.

That, of course, led to a surge in ads, which allowed hackers who lacked the ‘street cred’ and reputation in the cloistered hacking community increased access to compromised systems around the world. This, in turn, led to yet more attacks against vulnerable systems, which is at least part of the reason we’re seeing so many attacks today.

The price a hacker can get for access to a compromised network obviously varies from one to the next. KELA found some network access being sold for as little as $25. At the top end, access to a major network with a global footprint can go for more than $100,000, with the average being just shy of $5000.

This is why hackers do what they do. There’s big money, not just in accessing your data, but also in selling future access to it. Stay vigilant, this is a problem that’s not going to go away.

Jason Manteiga

Jason J. Manteiga, Vice President of Olmec Systems, has been part of the company for over the past 20 years. He believes that having a great work environment and supportive team, is the ultimate key to success. Since being in the IT realm for over 25 years, Jason, along with Olmec Systems, has been on the Inc. 5000 “List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” and Channel Futures MSP 501 “Top Managed Service Providers in North America,” along with other awards and nominations. Jason earned his Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds certifications in Microsoft MCSE, VMWare VCP, and Cisco CCNA. In his spare time, Jason is a contributor for The Center for Social & Legal Research (Privacy Exchange) and a member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies include cycling and kayaking. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and son.