Now that Bitcoin ransomware is becoming even more of a global threat; some researchers took it upon themselves to delve deeper into the world of underground marketplaces on the darknet and internet criminality. As it turns out, buying ransomware source code is not all that expensive, as some people are selling it for as little as US$100. For that price, buyers will get the toolkit they need to potentially infect millions of computers around the world, although some minor tweaks will need to be made.
Also read: Citi Report: Blockchain is Bigger than Bitcoin Bitcoin Ransomware is Dirt Cheap on the Darknet
Italian newspaper La Stampa has posted an interesting article on how easy it is to obtain the Bitcoin ransomware source code on underground forums. Do not expect to find this software by conducting a Google search, as internet criminals use the darknet to conduct business. Accessing these marketplaces full of illegal information, services, and goods requires users to install the Tor browser.
Although there has been a lot of backlash against the usage of anonymity software to access part of the Internet that is not crawled by search engines, more and more people are flocking to the darknet. Part of this increase in popularity is because there is something appealing about accessing what is forbidden by law, and knowing that one’s identity is fully protected, most users are not too worried when accessing underground marketplaces.
One of the more popular trends in the world of Internet criminality is Bitcoin ransomware. These pieces of malicious software can infect Windows computers all over the world, and spreading them can be done in a variety of ways. Whether it occurs through infected email attachments, or advertising networks, this type of malware is becoming far too common these days.
The article mentions […]
