[ars] Cybercrime Groups Starting to Operate Like the Mafia - Overclock.net

Choggs396 · 07-16-08

Ars Technica

Report: cybercrime groups starting to operate like the Mafia

By Emil Protalinski | Published: July 16, 2008 - 06:25AM CT

Quote:

Cybercrime is evolving. The lone hacker who steals and resells credit card numbers is being replaced by a well-structured business model. The game is no longer simply about hacking for fame, but rather about creating a business where you have frequent customers who buy your stolen product. The latest research report from web security company Finjan gives a peek at what exactly is going on.

Quote:

Finjan describes the employee structure that these cybercrime companies employ as being similar to the Mafia. In both cases, there is a "boss" who operates as a business entrepreneur and doesn't commit the (cyber)crimes himself, with an "underboss" who manages the operation, sometimes providing the tools needed for attacks. In the Mafia, several "capos" operate beneath the underboss as lieutenants leading their own section of the operation with their own soldiers, and in cybercrime, "campaign managers" lead their own attacks to steal data with their "affiliation networks."

Bosses, underbosses, and capos

Comp112 · 07-16-08

Choggs396 · 07-16-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comp112

Care to elaborate, or was that pretty much it?

mhsbrian · 07-16-08

The Brains(Crime dude)
----------------------------------------
The Brains cousin that uses trojans and calls himself a haxor!
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The cousins three best buds that he has lan parties with.
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AIM with encyption turned on LoL
----------------------------------------
Your mom.

Fossil · 07-16-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comp112

I couldn't agree anymore, lol.

Elyaas · 07-16-08

I call the role of Crime Boss. Who wants to be my trojan provider? We'll rule the str--INTERNET!

Choggs396 · 07-16-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by DjQurt

this is how people want you to think its like. [edited] its not. its a bunch of nerdy kids in thier parents basement having lan parties and then getting on myspace and getting kids passwords by posting bulletins about free ring tones and tricking this idiotic people of the internet into exposing there personal info because they want pretty rickey to sing when they get a call!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhsbrian

The Brains(Crime dude)
----------------------------------------
The Brains cousin that uses trojans and calls himself a haxor!
----------------------------------------
The cousins three best buds that he has lan parties with.
----------------------------------------
AIM with encyption turned on LoL
----------------------------------------
Your mom.

Sure, in some cases either of you may be right. Finjan may also be correct in saying cases like they describe actually exist. How many, we don't really know.

From the article:

Quote:

The latest research report from web security company Finjan gives a peek at what exactly is going on.

Quote:

The company's second quarter 2008 report is based on data from its Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC), which specializes in the detection of dangerous vulnerabilities that could be exploited for malicious attacks.

But you'll have to forgive me if I believe Finjan and the Malicious Code Research Center appears to have more credibility on the issue of internet security than you do.

OmegaNemesis28 · 07-16-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comp112

that sums it all up in a nutshell if you ask me.

stargate125645 · 07-16-08

What's with the heads of the Campaign Managers? Are they undergoing lunar cycles?

rabidgnome229 · 07-16-08

Cyber crime is very organized these days. Almost all of it happens oversease and there is a very large black market for stolen financial data. Botnets formed from worms such as Storm account for the vast majority of spam and are very lucrative. Even malware is professional and organized. There are developers tools and distribution practices that rival commercial software development.

All of you shouting "LOL" are just ignorant of the true state of cybercrime. This isn't the nineties anymore - you aren't dealing with some script kiddie in his parent's basement. There is a hell of a lot of money in cybercrime, it was only a matter of time before it became a facet of real organized crime.

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[ars] Cybercrime Groups Starting to Operate Like the Mafia

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