Not all hacks are instigated by people with the computer skills of a hacker. If you can’t do it yourself, you can hire a hacker via the Dark Web. Comparitech has researched what it costs to use these hacking services. Please note that we’re not recommending them! Of course, we do not condone hacking and cybercrime. We just want to let you know how easy it is for a hacker to target your business and compromise the security of your IT systems and data.
Hacking – the Numbers
Comparitech looked at twelve hacking sites and a hundred listings on these sites. As with any business, the sites offered various services, priced according to type and scope. Payment is usually made with cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. Comparitech converted these prices to US dollars and calculated what the different services cost on average – so let’s look at their findings. Again, we must emphasize that we do not want you to make use of these services, under any circumstances.
A whole range of services are available on these sites. Here are some of the most common and most popular services that are offered:
- Personal attacks – these may include defamation, legal threats and financial sabotage. Cost: $551.
- Grade changing – Students can pay hackers to infiltrate university systems and mark up their grades. Cost: $526.
- Website hacking – for the purposes of stealing information or causing disruption. Cost: $394.
- Computer or phone Hacking – for data theft or other troublemaking and threats. Cost: $343.
- Hacking social media accounts – spying on users or hijacking their accounts. Cost: $230.
- Email hacking – Either accessing people’s email or selling the password to a buyer. Cost: $241.
- DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks – where servers are bombarded with traffic, causing them to slow down or even crash completely. Cost: $26 per hour.
You may be shocked at just how low-priced these services are. Because they’re so cheap, it means that the average joe can easily afford them, which in turn means that the cybersecurity threat is hugely amplified. Today it’s not just the wealthy who can hire a hacker. Businesses should be aware – and deeply concerned. The ease of access to these services means that all businesses are potentially vulnerable to these attacks. The services may be cheap but the consequences of a cybersecurity breach can be devastating, and ultimately very expensive for any organization targeted by hackers and cybercriminals. It’s not a risk any business should take.
If you take the safety of your business data seriously then you’ll understand the scale of the cybersecurity threats out there and the danger they pose. Quikteks can help make sure that your organization doesn’t become a target. We can provide you with security solutions that are designed to keep your IT systems and data safe from a range of threats. To find out more about how we can help you protect your business, call us at (973) 882-4644.