Kaspersky, a cybersecurity solutions provider, predicts a surge in diverse cyber attack methods on the dark web until 2024. While traditional threats like ransomware and phishing remain prevalent, cybercriminals are increasingly exploring new and sophisticated strategies.
In the past year, Kaspersky observed an uptick in stealers and extortion activities on the dark web market. Anticipating future challenges, the company foresees an increase in crypto-drainer services, heightened promotion of fraudulent websites through search advertising, and a rise in malicious “loaders.”
Ransomware continues to be a favored tool for cybercriminals, who create blogs to blackmail companies or showcase successful hacks. In 2023, the dark web witnessed a surge in posts related to stealer malware, designed to pilfer sensitive information for identity theft or financial fraud. The volume of various malware log files posted on the dark web rose by almost 30% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
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Posts offering Redline stealer logs, a popular malware family, tripled from an average of 370 per month in 2022 to 1,200 in 2023. Overall, the volume of various malware malicious log files, containing compromised user data and freely posted on the dark web, rose by almost 30% in 2023, compared to the previous year.
Crypto drainers
Looking ahead to 2024, Kaspersky predicts scammers will increasingly use search engine advertising to promote malware-infested websites. Previously reliant on phishing emails, cybercriminals now turn to Google and Bing ads to secure top positions in search results for their landing pages embedded with malware. Crypto-drainers, specialized in swiftly withdrawing funds from legitimate crypto wallets to malicious actors, are gaining momentum among scammers. Kaspersky expects a rise in demand for such crypto-stealing malware, with increased advertisements in the underground market.
Security experts foresee an increase in services providing antivirus evasion for malware, continued evolution of “loader” malware services, and dynamic changes in the market for Bitcoin mixers and cleaning services. The sustained interest in cryptocurrencies and related digital assets is expected to fuel the proliferation of these trends on the dark web.