Cyber crime profits drive sale of hacking tools
ConvergenceAsia staff
06/09/2007

According to enterprise gateway security company Secure Computing, rapid change and high profitability of cybercrime are driving cyber thieves to embark on selling hacking tools to budding hackers. Today, more than 68,000 hacking tools are available for download online.

"Cybercriminals are getting very innovative in their methods to devise new ways of infiltrating security systems and once they have achieved that, they are now reaping the rewards of this booming industry by selling their proven methods to others," said Benjamin Low, Managing Director for Southeast Asia and India, Secure Computing.

While majority of the tools are free, they require some skill to operate. A growing number of hacking groups are offering kits such as MPack, Shark 2, Nuclear, WebAttacker, and IcePack for sale, which are easier to use, thus allowing unskilled hackers to get into the cybercrime game effortlessly. These kits are proven to be effective as more vulnerabilities are being discovered today and these take a longer time to be patched, providing budding hackers ample time to test out these kits.

Low added, “There are little risks involved for the hacking groups selling these kits. Even if the kits are used to commit crimes, the hacking group cannot be charged, as each kit comes with a disclaimer that says the software is distributed for educational purposes and the user accepts all responsibility for any misuse. The only risk these hacker groups face in making these kits available is someone stealing their software and offering it at a lower price. However, the sheer numbers of tools available for sale today have driven prices down.”

Top hacking tools on sale now can cost up to US$1,000, with some of the most expensive tools sold with 12 months of technical support to ensure they are armed with the latest vulnerabilities.

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