TechRepublic: Underground hacker markets are thriving reports Dell's SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit

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A December 2014 security report finds that the internet's underground hacker economy is booming. This economy is doing so well that it's becoming a buyer's market.

By Michael Kassner
January 7, 2015

Dell SecureWorks published in November 2013 the results of a remarkable project taken on by its Counter Threat Unit (CTU) Director of Malware Research Joe Stewart and independent Network Security Analyst David Shear: The Underground Hacking Economy is Alive and Well. Their research uncovered an extensive and virile underground market for hackers and digital ne'er-do-wells. The duo listed available bad-guy tools, hacker services, and their associated costs. For example, the ever-popular US Fullz sold for $25 US. That may seem like a lot, but the buyer gets a lot -- typically all of the following victim's personally-identifiable information:

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