Comments on: The rise of organized crime in cybersecurity http://www.breachbytes.com/2008/01/21/the-rise-of-organized-crime-in-cybersecurity/ Network Forensics | Network Monitoring | Incident Response Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:54:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Breach Security Labs finds 67% of web attacks motivated by profit http://www.breachbytes.com/2008/01/21/the-rise-of-organized-crime-in-cybersecurity/#comment-114 Breach Security Labs finds 67% of web attacks motivated by profit Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:25:18 +0000 http://www.BreachBytes.com/2008/01/21/the-rise-of-organized-crime-in-cybersecurity/#comment-114 [...] and breaches are motivated by money. Andy weighed in on this trend with his excellent write up on the rise of organized crime in cybersecurity. I wrote about THE subject most recently in my post on the motivations of modern hackers. Danny [...] [...] and breaches are motivated by money. Andy weighed in on this trend with his excellent write up on the rise of organized crime in cybersecurity. I wrote about THE subject most recently in my post on the motivations of modern hackers. Danny [...]

]]> By: Stephen Smoogen http://www.breachbytes.com/2008/01/21/the-rise-of-organized-crime-in-cybersecurity/#comment-29 Stephen Smoogen Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:55:07 +0000 http://www.BreachBytes.com/2008/01/21/the-rise-of-organized-crime-in-cybersecurity/#comment-29 I believe it can be shown via the Russian 'mafia' and other organizations that Organized Cyber-Crime has been around for multiple years. The big deal is that it is profitable enough that it does not just lurk in the shadows anymore. While its hard to pin down exact numbers, the amount of money that is flowing via the illegal markets is in the multi-billion ranges for just California. World-wide it is probably larger than the GNP of many countries. And it has become so ubiquitous and in some ways easy that every corner crook wants in on the action (you do 20 years for selling $100 of crack, but 2 years for 10,000 in computer crime). I have not heard that particular story, my only problem is that I would believe it happened quite some time ago. The information that schools, banks, credit card companies, and even places like Target/WalMart/Sears keep about people is amazing.. and if I were looking to make a long term criminal investment.. they would have been my targets for quite some time. Heck, I would expect that the current Sears 'tracking software' would be a prime target for getting information from people at workplaces and homes. 'Hack' the software, and have the personal or corporate data come to you for 'free'. I believe it can be shown via the Russian ‘mafia’ and other organizations that Organized Cyber-Crime has been around for multiple years. The big deal is that it is profitable enough that it does not just lurk in the shadows anymore. While its hard to pin down exact numbers, the amount of money that is flowing via the illegal markets is in the multi-billion ranges for just California. World-wide it is probably larger than the GNP of many countries. And it has become so ubiquitous and in some ways easy that every corner crook wants in on the action (you do 20 years for selling $100 of crack, but 2 years for 10,000 in computer crime).

I have not heard that particular story, my only problem is that I would believe it happened quite some time ago. The information that schools, banks, credit card companies, and even places like Target/WalMart/Sears keep about people is amazing.. and if I were looking to make a long term criminal investment.. they would have been my targets for quite some time. Heck, I would expect that the current Sears ‘tracking software’ would be a prime target for getting information from people at workplaces and homes. ‘Hack’ the software, and have the personal or corporate data come to you for ‘free’.

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