Read Time: 2 minutes
As hackers for hire become more accessible, penetration testing has emerged as the essential initial stage in guarding your digital assets.
Hackers for hire are malicious actors who provide malware as a service (MaaS), ransomware as a service (RaaS), phishing as a service (PhaaS), and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) services on behalf of others. These services are abundant on the dark web, an uncontrolled part of the internet, where clients can browse and select services.
Corporate entities also use hackers for hire services to gain access to competitors' trade secrets, customer data, or websites through DDoS attacks. Hacker for hire attacks can have severe consequences for organizations and individuals, including financial losses, reputational damage, and loss of revenue.
Cyber threat intelligence firm Mandiant1 reports that in the US, government-sponsored groups are the most significant clients for hackers for hire, often used for espionage, sabotage, and disruption against rivals. Corporate entities also use hacker-for-hire services to gain access to competitors' trade secrets, customer data, or websites through DDoS attacks. Hacker for hire attacks can have severe consequences for organizations and individuals, including financial losses, reputational damage, and loss of revenue.
Our Investigation Results2
Crowe cybersecurity specialists investigated the ease of hiring a hacker on the regular and dark web. Our team found that:
- DDoS services are the simplest option, presented by tiers based on resource use, API access, and attack duration.
- Marketplaces, vendors, and individual developers offer custom payloads for customer-requested use cases. Some marketplace offerings provided guaranteed escrow, malware, adware, worms, and keyloggers, with developer support for setup and execution.
- The market is selling stolen crypto asset wallets, offering access to their private keys in exchange for a separate payment of bitcoin (BTC).
- Bad actors offer a wide range of services, including detailed payment instructions, middlemen services, invoices, customer registration, and customer service portals.
- And anyone with internet access can hire hackers, employ their services, and even purchase compromised credentials, wallets, and personal information.
Why and who needs Penetration tests (Pen-tests)?
Penetration testing (pen testing) is essential for organizations to proactively identify and address vulnerabilities in their systems before attackers can exploit them. It helps mitigate the risk of cyberattacks, protects financial and reputational assets, and ensures compliance with regulatory standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS. By simulating real-world attacks, pen testing provides actionable insights to strengthen security measures and improve incident response capabilities.
Organizations that rely heavily on digital systems and data—such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, e-commerce businesses, government agencies, technology companies, and critical infrastructure—are at heightened risk of cyberattacks. Regular pen testing is crucial for these sectors to safeguard sensitive information and maintain operational integrity.
Crowe high-assurance Pen-tests
Crowe’s penetration testing is end-to-end. Our commitment is not only to help organizations identify vulnerabilities but also provide reasonable assurance that appropriate remediation is taken. Our expert team provides Proof of Exploitability (POE) and can simulate real-world attacks to expose gaps in your defenses. Reach out to Crowe and take the next step in protecting your business.
Endnotes
1Access the full article here: M-Trends 2024 Special Report
2Access the full article here: Hackers for hire: The dark web, pen tests, and beyond
Source: Crowe Global