Tag: hacking industry

Discovering the Daily Businesses Which Happen on Dark Web

There’s a reason why the term “dark web” sounds ominous. The dark web is a part of the internet you can’t find with your regular browser. To access it, you need one designed for uncovering these hidden sites. The dark web is a hidden area of the internet where people and businesses can go anonymously to buy illegal drugs, guns or other criminal activity.

Do you know what businesses happen on the dark web?, You’re probably thinking of things like stolen company data, pirated software, and password lists when you think of what sells on Dark Web markets. But that’s not even close to the complete picture of what’s going on in the Dark Web – and what you don’t know could be the catalyst for the next onslaught. Let’s see what all “actually” happens on the Dark Web.

What is Dark Web?
Things that are Sold on Dark Web
FAQ

What is Dark Web?

The dark web is a dangerous place where you can buy or sell almost anything. Drugs, Guns, counterfeit money, other people’s Netflix accounts, credit card details, and other items can be purchased and sold on the dark web.

You can also get software that allows you to log into other people’s computers. Data, passwords, and hacking services aren’t the only things sold on the Dark Web. Weapons, narcotics, stolen items, plundered artefacts, illegal commodities, endangered animals, slave labour, and child pornography are among the dangerous, unlawful, and nasty entities that can’t sell openly, as well as innocent but weird things that you wouldn’t anticipate.

The dark web, though, isn’t just for criminals. You’ll also find online editions of long-out-of-print books, a collection of political reporting from mainstream news sites, sometimes journalists use it so their sources can remain unknown and several whistleblower websites dedicated to exposing corporate and government misconduct.

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Things that are Sold on Dark Web

Drugs

The dark web is the most notable place for buying drugs. A good example is ‘Silk Road’, the go-to destination when looking up illegal substances on Tor. Still, it wasn’t always this way—the original version of Silk Road was shut down back in 2013. The FBI took action after the only one-year operation due to too many reports about shady deals being made under its name, which further investigated several alleged crimes committed against both users/buyers.

Firearms

A study by Rand Corporation in 2019 found that it’s relatively easy to find firearms for sale on the dark web, and almost 60 percent of all listings are advertising products originating within the US. Europe represents a more significant market compared with America as they generate revenues five times greater than those in the US. This means there is an ample supply both domestically and internationally.

Password and Usernames for Streaming sites

You may be able to find the passwords for some of the most popular streaming services on dark websites. Cybercriminals sell these login details so that people who want a subscription without paying can use them instead. Passwords and usernames for platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime, and others are commonly available.

Credit And Debit Card Details

Criminals sell Credit and Debit card information for others to commit crimes. They’ll use these numbers and charge them on something without permission, like online shopping platforms or make an unauthorised withdrawal or payments. According to a report by Gemini Advisory, in 2020, posted 115 million stolen debit and credit card details were to the dark web.

Bank Account Details

A cyber security firm Digital Shadows conducted a survey, and according to it, online marketplaces currently sell over 15 billion pieces of financial account information. According to the research, banking and financial accounts made up about a quarter of the internet ads.

After purchasing your bank account information, fraudsters may do a lot of damage. They can make purchases with your account and quickly deplete your savings or checking accounts.

Legitimacy

Cybercriminals aren’t the only ones who want to remain anonymous online. Consumers increasingly use Tor and other anonymous web browsers to conduct simple online searches. As more consumers begin to get tailored adverts based on their web searches, the importance of keeping their search habits private will become evident.

Threat Intelligence

Collaboration and sharing of information are also facilitated via Dark Web exchanges. Cybersecurity professionals watch chat rooms where sophisticated opponents frequently debate hacking concepts. Security analysts can learn about new and emerging risks by listening to these chats.

To monitor and analyse assaults, several firms deploy threat intelligence and mitigation platforms. They can protect against attacks on their assets and applications using information obtained on the Dark Web and keep up with new vulnerabilities being marketed in underground marketplaces.

Dark Analytics

While organisations aiming to obtain unindexed data from the Dark Web face risks, the benefits of anonymity enable them to gain hitherto untapped business, consumer, and operational insights by studying unstructured, concealed, or unprocessed data.

Companies utilise new search tools designed to assist users in targeting scientific research, activist data, or even hobbyist forums in the same way that security organisations watch exchanges for dangerous intelligence.

Dark data can be found in various places, including on the Dark Web. Enterprises are figuring out how to harness this trove of untapped information from many sources to inform business decisions.

India- Third most affected country due to cyber attacks.

The number of local threats has been significantly increasing, to mitigate such major threats, business needs to allocate their budgets to build a strong security infrastructure.

StartupTalkyAditi Chawda

Conclusion

Security leaders must understand who uses the Dark Web, why they use it, and how the data they acquire can affect the security posture of their firm. But there’s also plenty of legal material on this corner that you might find fascinating too. The dark web is an excellent place to get medical advice that you want anonymous.

FAQ

What kind of services are on the dark web?

One can find drugs, firearms, credit and debit card details, and passwords.

Is the dark web illegal?

Surfing on the dark web is not illegal but purchasing illegal items from the dark web can land you in trouble.

How many people use the dark web a day?

The dark web has around 2 million active users.

February 6, 2022
Top 10 Ethical Hacking Companies To Watch Out for in 2022

With the rise of sophistication in computing and a huge threat in the cyber domain, Ethical Hacking has become important. Also, cyber security needs to be very much strengthened. The ultimate test of cyber security is penetration test or ethical hacking. In this, hackers try hacking the system with various methods and see if the system will get hacked or not.

This is why ethical hacking companies are of great importance in today’s time. They show you the true strength of your software in the practical world. So without much ado, let me start discussing top ethical hacking companies to watch in 2022.

1. Crowdstrike
2. HackerOne
3. Balbix
4. Bitglass
5. Carbon Black
6. Sequretek
7. Security Bulls
8. Cryptoloc Technology Group
9. Cyberint
10. Lightspin
FAQs

1. Crowdstrike

Crowdstrike Homepage

Crowdstrike is a cybersecurity company founded by George Kurtz, Dmitri Alperovitch, and Gregg Marstonone in 2011. It has a cloud-native platform that detects and block threats. It is known for its foolproof hacking methodologies.

2. HackerOne

HackerOne Homepage

HackerOne is a United States-based company that provides various security services in this country. They have one of the best hacking and security experts in their company. Their company works in preventive measures, they help developers build their app hackproof in the development phase. This company works with e-commerce, financial services, and many other companies.

Some of their esteemed clients are Lufthansa Airlines, HBO, Twitter, Spotify, and the US department.

3. Balbix

Balbix Homepage

Balbix is based in San Francisco and works in automating cyber security for different companies. Their speciality is real-time cyber security checks and troubleshooting. They have expertise in data, and insights to deal with real-time attacks. They have services and products which help their clients build robust security systems.

4. Bitglass

Bitglass Homepage

Bitglass has unique cyber security technology that can determine if you are facing a threat by merely looking at your interaction with their software. The most popular product of Bitglass is CASB. This is a security system for remotely working systems. With the rise in Pandemic, remote working is on the rise and this is where this software can come in handy. Their main goal is to safeguard the end computer.

5. Carbon Black

Carbon Black specializes in cloud-native endpoint security systems. Apart from this, they also specialize in workload protection systems. They use behavioural analytics to protect their system. Using its year’s long experience and various insights, it has designed systems by which it can block the most complex cyber-attacks.

Their product VMware Carbon Black Cloud is one of the most popular products. It accesses every abnormal activity and learns it so as to avoid these types of activities in the future.

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6. Sequretek

Sequretek Homepage

It is a New England based startup. Sequretek specializes in workload protection. They have designed cyber security technology to keep in mind modern-day security standards.

Sequretek also uses security technology which helps in combatting modern-day attacks. It uses advanced analytics. They have trained their product to detect anomalous behaviour from any user and prevent any further unsafe activity.

7. Security Bulls

Security Bulls Homepage

Security Bulls specializes in penetration testing. Their cyber security testing services and monitoring technology is very advanced. It offers security analysis services to its clients. They also provide you with a risk percentage for your digital asset after analyzing it.

8. Cryptoloc Technology Group

Cryptoloc Homepage

Crpytoloc is based in Brisbane and is known for its advanced cyber security technology. In the ongoing years, it has researched and innovated a lot in the field of cyber security. Due to its amazing technologies, it was named Forbes 20 best cyber security startups in 2020.

It also has a patent registered in encryption-based security systems. This company also provides several platforms to its client companies which makes their work simpler.

9. Cyberint

Cyberint Homepage

Cyberint is an Israel-based company that is known for its robust security systems. They provide all the services which a cyber security system is expected to give. The company provides attack simulation, virtual HumINT operations. They believe in delivering trusted long-term security systems. They devise innovative preventive methods so that their clients can safeguard their digital assets properly.

10. Lightspin

Lightspin Homepage

It was founded in Ra’anana, Israel in 2015. This company is more known for the training it gives to its client employees. They play a crucial role in upskilling its client employee. In this platform, you can specialize in any one of the disciplines in cyber security. Here you can avail yourself of personalized learning and gain a lot of professional insight into the field of cybersecurity.

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Conclusion

All of these companies have extraordinary skills in their fields. Each company has a speciality and works diligently in that area. These companies have thought out of the box and have devised special cyber security systems.

FAQs

Which company is best for ethical hacking?

Crowdstrike, Hackerone, BitGlass, and Balbix are some of the top ethical companies.

Who is the best Ethical Hacker in the world?

Kevin Mitnick, Tsutomu Shimomura, Richard Stallman, Charlie Miller, Greg Hoglund, Joanna Rutkowska, and Sherri Sparks are some of the top ethical hackers in the world.

Which country is best for ethical hacking?

China is the top country from where the most security hackers come from.

January 25, 2022
10 Ways How you can Secure your Startup against Cyber Risks in 2021

Startups and small businesses are at serious risk of cybercrime. Ransomware, IoT attacks, DDoS attack and deepfakes are threats to growing companies who lack the professional protection that larger firms may enjoy.

It’s crucial that startups and small businesses invest in IT security to provide the protection they need to power productivity. If you’re struggling to identify where to start, here are 10 ways to set up cybersecurity for startups.

Why Startups must get serious about protection
Invest in Antivirus protection
Commit 100% to the cloud
Protect all Passwords
Create Professional policies
Restrict Network access
Safely store sensitive data
Establish a culture of security
Have a Recovery backup plan
Invest in protection
Work with a IT partner
FAQ

Why Startups must get serious about protection

Almost half (46%) of all UK businesses were the victims of cyber-attacks, the Government found in a 2020 survey. Across the world, 53% of small businesses are targeted by hackers and online criminals, says Cisco – and the threat level is increasing.

Of those businesses attacked, 33% experienced a cyber breach once a week in 2020, costing almost £1,000 each time to fix the problem. As well as incurring expenses, companies can suffer from data losses and damage to reputation that can be more difficult to claw back.

While startups may not have established a profile, missing protection makes them easy targets for online criminals. A lack of investment in infrastructure, personal safety, and a robust IT security culture means that startups can be easy pickings for online predators.

The National Cyber Security Centre has created a set of simple guidelines for startups, but these are far too basic for most businesses.

At Syntax, we work with businesses of all sizes to safeguard their IT systems and provide IT security solutions that deliver the highest levels of protection.

Invest in Antivirus protection

While the Government may have recorded a fall in viruses or other malware (from 33% to 16%), strong antivirus software should still be the first investment you make.

Online threats have increased by almost 30% during the Coronavirus pandemic, as digital criminals attempt to take advantage of lapses in online defenses.

Antivirus software acts as a first line in protection, alerting you to threats and safeguarding your systems from identified risks. While it may be tempting to use free antivirus software, avoid it. Investing in a professional antivirus package is the only way to enjoy total peace of mind and protection.

Installing your antivirus software is just the start; you’ll also need to ensure that everyone in your organisation installs updates as soon as they’re released as new threats emerge every day.

Think you’re protected using a Mac? Macworld provides a list of all threats, and it’s growing every day. Whatever platform you use, invest in anti-virus software.

Commit 100% to the cloud

Storing documents and data in the cloud isn’t just convenient; it can be much safer too. As a business owner, you maintain control and oversight of all information. You’ll have an audit trail, too, enabling you to see who is accessing what data and when. It’s easy to generate audit logs in Microsoft 365, providing total transparency.

By using cloud services, you can hopefully avoid dangerous practices, such as saving to a local computer, emailing files through a web-based provider, or using external storage devices such as USB sticks.

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Protect all Passwords

An incredible 85% of all data breaches were caused by human error, including poor password protection, Verizon found in its 2021 survey. The problem is your people. A Google survey found that 65% of people used the same passwords for multiple accounts. This gives hackers and online criminals easy access to your systems.

Staff must understand the risks of poor password etiquette, including reusing the same password multiple times. Other simple but common issues include writing passwords down or sharing them with other employees.

Create Professional policies

The Federation of Small Business recommends you create a password policy to ensure staff choose (and don’t reuse) passwords, and we agree. But you should go further. Every startup and small business should develop professional policies to safeguard IT systems.

A strong policy will spell out precisely what you expect of each staff member, including what they shouldn’t access, how to manage data, keep passwords secret and more. An IT policy will also ensure that your organisation adheres to legislation, including GDPR and UK data protection rules.

Restrict Network access

Cloud platforms enable you to set tiered access levels, allowing only those who need the information to access it. This may mean that only your accounts team, for example, can access information on invoices and outgoings.

It’s critical as insider threats – where someone within your organisation intentionally accesses information they should – are on the rise. Research in 2020 found that 60% of all data breaches are caused by insider threats. Don’t give anyone – outside or inside your organisation – a chance.

Safely store sensitive data

Data is likely to be an organisation’s greatest asset and its most significant risk. Protecting data isn’t just a legal duty; an information breach can lead to long-lasting damage to your reputation too.

Cloud storage systems provide extra safety for your data. For example, you can set tiered access, provide password protection and see who has accessed data and when. Secure cloud storage systems are also external to your business and regularly backed up, removing one stress point from your IT security.

Establish a culture of security

We’ve identified that your people are often the weakest link in your IT security, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Establishing a positive security culture ensures that all staff – from the boardroom to the backroom – take IT security seriously.

Each member of staff should understand their role in keeping your startup safe. Installing updates, protecting passwords and identifying potential threats are just some of the ways you can create a culture of IT security.

It’s also critical that staff have the confidence to immediately raise an alert if something goes wrong (and unfortunately, it will).

Have a Recovery backup plan

It’s highly likely that you’ll experience an IT security threat, so we recommend that every startup has a robust disaster recovery plan. Each plan should include details of how you’ll manage your hardware, software and essential systems in a crisis.

The priority here is to ensure the safety of crucial data and to restore systems as soon as possible so you can continue to work.

Using cloud-based systems and software can reduce your time offline, restoring productivity – and profitability – as quickly as possible.

Growth and Evolution of Hacking Industry

Hacking carries an excessively negative intent on stealing identities and letting disruptive viruses loose into cyberspace. Let us now see the complete story behind the topic- Growth and Evolution of Hacking Industry.

StartupTalkyYash Gupta

Invest in protection

Smaller businesses invest proportionally smaller amounts in IT security than larger firms, stats show. This increases their risk of damaging data breaches and online threats.

Every startup should ensure that IT security is a priority and invest in it. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here; the amount you spend depends on your organisation, systems, and the security risks you face.

Our advice is to regularly review IT security spending and avoid the temptation to cut costs or corners.

Work with a IT partner

Managing IT security is a full-time job, but too many startups struggle to balance priorities, compromising their protection. Working with an experienced partner can prove to be a cost-effective way to manage your IT systems.

Outsourcing support can be cheaper and more effective than in-sourcing the task to an already over-stretched IT team. Experienced providers can deliver 24/7 support and guidance, as well as protecting you from new and emerging threats.

FAQ

Do startups need cybersecurity?

Yes, If you’re a small business or a startup you are vulnerable to hackers and so you should step up your cybersecurity to Keep your startup safe from hackers, data loss and breaches.

What are the 3 major types of cybersecurity?

Cloud Security, Network Security, and Application Security are the 3 major types of cyber security.

Why do small businesses need cybersecurity?

Small businesses should invest in cybersecurity to protect their own business, their customers, and their data from growing cybersecurity threats.

August 2, 2021
Growth and Evolution of Hacking Industry

They’re smart. They know their code. They got the ardor to get into your system. The strengths and the backdoors, they know it all. Yes, we’re talking about the brilliant minded, cyber thrill seekers called Hackers. The term hacking, means to gain unauthorised access in someone’s computer or private network for some illicit purpose.

Nowadays, the word “hacker” carries an excessively negative connotation, projecting images of digital thieves intent on stealing identities and letting disruptive viruses loose into cyberspace.

It wasn’t always the same. In fact, computer hackers were originally viewed by society as technology fanatics who wanted nothing more than to optimize, customize and improvise. Decades later, with the growth of viruses and cyber crime – the traditional hackers got stuck together with those of malicious purpose and the censure of hacking began.

Curious as to how this evolution came to be? Let us now see the complete story behind the topic- Growth and Evolution of Hacking Industry.

History of Hacking Industry
Current Trends in Hacking Industry

History of Hacking Industry

Hacking originated from the term “phreaking” (hacking phone systems), in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Gaining access within networks was called “cracking.” The primary motive of hackers was to get into the phone system.

1980s brought with it the personal computers. More people, businesses and governments adopted to them, and a whole new world of technology fascinated the hackers. They had a gala time playing around in this new tech realm, and simultaneously, discovering the loop holes in the network.

The law responded swiftly. The emergence of cyber criminals was met in 1986 with the first legislation related to hacking, the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act but this didn’t stop these criminals.

Initially, hacking was primarily done to get the adrenaline rush—the computer equivalent of sky diving.But over time, these players realized that they could make money off of their skill. Why destroy a file, corrupt a program and play cat-and-mouse with the IT team when you can rip them off with a code? A black market began to surface.

By 2003, Microsoft was offering money to hackers that could corrupt Windows. Ethical hacking took birth to discover vulnerabilities and fix them before an unethical hacker gets in.

Also Read: How Anshul Saxena became a Cyber Hero after the Pulwama Attack

Current Trends in Hacking Industry

When cybercrime takes place on a larger scale, like to a giant retailer, the damages value upto tens of millions for a single business.

Hackers make use of hardware and software to test how easily a computer network can be infiltrated. Vulnerabilities are sited at any one of a number of points, such as the Internet connection itself, the browser or the operating system of the user’s computer.

A decade ago, hackers crashed computers, making the user instantly aware they were hacked. Nowadays, hackers leave no proof. How could they get your banking information if your computer is crashed?

Instead, they inject a Trojan that waits, undetected, then springs into action when you begin online banking—transferring information to the hacker.

By the mid 2000s hacking was carried by state sponsored hackers, organized criminals, hacktivists and cyber terrorists. Some political attacks like the interference by the Russians in the 2016 Presidential Election or the Stuxnet virus.

Hacktivists groups use their fervour about certain beliefs and plot an attack against a group that they disagree with. For example, a hacktivist group known as “Anonymous” attacked the Church of Scientology by flooding its servers with fake data requests. All they wanted was for the Scientology website to take down a video of Tom Cruise endorsing from their website.

Most attackers hack for the money. They hack into system and demand large ransom payments to prevent information leak.

There were 1,903 breaches disclosed and 1.9 billion exposed records in Q1 alone, according to RiskBased Security.

Some repeated patterns that were traced are:

1) Presence of Misconfigurations

43% of data breaches linked misconfigurations analyzed by X-Force. That accounts for 990 million records lost.

2) Phishing is still there

29% of cybersecurity attacks used phishing, according to go X-For ce. About half of the latest phishing attacks involve hackers fiddling with business email.

3) Coin-mining malware

Cryptojacking(unauthorised use of someone else’s computer to mine cryptocurrency) attacks grew a surprising 450% last year, according to Proofpoint.

4) Extortion as the new ransomware

Includes credential theft, downloaders, and infected attachments. There has also been a significant surge in direct attempts to blackmail executives.

5) Missing passwords

Nearly three-quarters of the records lost in 2019 contained email addresses and passwords, per RiskBased Security. 10% had credit card or social security numbers.

6) Malicious domains

About 10 million DNS requests to harmful sites are blocked each day, according to X-Force.

7) SMS leads to malware

Android malware named TimpDoor raised prominence in early 2019. When an attack starts, users are generally prompted to download a malicious app via SMS phishing, or “smishing,” according to McAfee. These apps install an unforeseen backdoor that gives hackers access to corporate and home networks.

Current Market Size and Future Projection of Hacking Industry

Hacking collectively called Cybercrime is a major threat to every organisation in the world, its effect on society is reflected in the Official 2019 Annual Cybercrime Report, announced by Cybersecurity Ventures.

As per the report, it will cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015 marking the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history, risking the reason for innovation and investment.

Cybercrime might triple the number of jobs to 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions by 2021 — which is up from 1 million in 2014 – and the cybersecurity unemployment rate will remain at 0%.

The international cyber security market size was at USD 131.3 Billion in 2018 is expected to reach USD 289.8 Billion by 2026, according to fortune business insights.

Global security spending on identity access management is accounted to reach 10.58 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. Spending on security services, the largest segment of the information security market, might reach 64.24 billion U.S. dollars in the same year as per Statistica report.

Also Read: IT Services giant Cognizant Hit by ‘Maze’ Ransomware

Conclusion

Hacking trends are tricky to predict.With that said, there are a few ways you can innovate faster than hackers and respond to emerging threats in 2019 and beyond.

*) Protect the endpoints

Hardware weaknesses are common, means hackers can keep harvesting data in the easily. It should be kept in mind that the time to address device vulnerabilities is before data loss.

*) Analyse human error

Hackers sense vulnerability, and they target the weakest link in your network. Sophisticated social engineering as well as less-sophisticated blackmail attempts take place. Some user may click on spammy attachments, even after years of training.

Awareness should be spread. Invest in smarter spam filters and devices that can quarantine and eliminate threats before they infect your network.

*) Visibility is a security advantage

Hackers love it when you make their job easy with an unprotected cloud database or printers protected with easy passwords. The solution is to install services that enable you to understand risks across multiple cloud environments and multi-vendor printers.

June 4, 2020