Cyber Attacks for Sale

The infamous darknet hosts an underground economy for illegal goods and services, some of which can be purchased and used for cyber attacks. By analyzing the properties and popularity of such items, we can get indications about the type and capabilities of potential attackers, what assets they are targeting and which vulnerabilities they are likely to exploit. We have conducted an online study of eleven marketplaces residing within the darknet, addressing what kind of cyber attack items are available and where the profit lies. The results have been used to create a detailed categorization of items, showing a distribution based on item type and availability. This has been compared to the number of sold items and revenue from four of the marketplaces, and we discuss these different views. Aided by related studies, we have identified trending cyber threats such as phone hacking, information theft and bitcoin stealing.