What it costs to hire a hacker on the Dark Web

The Dark Web hosts illegal and criminal products and services for sale, and that certainly encompasses the area of ​​cybercrime. From website hacking to DDoS attacks, custom malware, and changing school grades, you can purchase one of these services from a hired hacker. But how much do these types of items cost?

In this article, I examine several sources to show you the costs of hiring a Dark Web hacker. The idea is not to tempt you into a life of crime, but rather to reveal the latest findings and improve your knowledge of cybersecurity.

SEE: The Dark Web: A guide for business professionals (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Hire a hacker

Before we examine the costs, just a quick word about how easy it is for nefarious people to find a hacker. According to research by accounting and consulting firm Crowe, “hacker-for-hire services are abundantly available on the Dark Web.” Payments are typically made using cryptocurrency assets to provide the highest level of anonymity.

If you're wondering how big the Dark Web is, cybersecurity software company Avast explains: “It's difficult to measure Dark Web statistics, but it is estimated that there are tens of millions of URLs on the Dark Web and tens of thousands of active dark sites”. websites, including thousands of forums and marketplaces.”

These alarming facts mean that the hiring process will be quite simple. There are many places to find hackers eager to do unseemly business.

SEE: Dell presents cybersecurity and artificial intelligence solutions at Microsoft Ignite 2024 (TechRepublic)

DDoS attacks

Hackers offering distributed denial of service attacks can charge anywhere from $10 to $750. According to data from Privacy Affairs' 2023 Dark Web Price Index, $10 could buy DDoS attacks on an “unprotected website, 10,000 to 50,000 requests per second, 1 hour.”

If it were a “premium protected website”, then a 24-hour attack would cost around $170.

Some hackers will charge by the hour or even by the month to maintain an attack for as long as the buyer wants.

Certain hackers will change search engine results to increase or decrease a site's ranking. Others will delete a post the buyer made on a social network. Some hackers audit a website's security, ostensibly to show the owner where vulnerabilities exist.

SEE: Cybersecurity: benefits and best practices (TechRepublic Premium)

Personal attacks

Hackers specializing in personal attacks sell their services for between $10 and $600. A personal attack could include financial sabotage, legal problems, or public defamation. One tactic promoted by a hacker is to frame the victim as a purchaser of child pornography. Some hackers offer services like “scamster's revenge” or “fraud tracking,” where they target the scammer.

The analysis by Crowe, whose team found a “menu of hired hacker services,” says gaining access to personal information, addresses, phone numbers, emails and family names will cost, on average, $600.

The 2023 Dark Web Price Index says a US passport scan could cost as little as $50, which is the price of counterfeit documents.

Website Hacking

Website hacking includes attacks against websites and other services hosted online. Hackers can access an underlying web server or the administrative panel of a website. Others can steal databases and administrative credentials.

Crowe's research reveals that hacking websites and databases costs, on average, $1,200. This type of activity could involve gaining access to the admin panel or backend.

Computer and phone hacking

According to Crowe's findings, a computer and phone hacking service costs $950 on average. In this type of attack, the hacker breaks into the victim's PC or phone to steal data or deploy malware. The operating system does not seem to matter, since they boast of being able to access Windows, macOS, Linux, Android or iOS.

SEE: Everything you need to know about the cybersecurity threat of malvertising (TechRepublic Premium)

Social media account hacking

Hacking a social media account can cost anywhere from $20 to $500+. In this service, the hacker will spy on or hijack accounts from platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, social platform X, Instagram, Skype, Telegram, TikTok, Snapchat and Reddit. Malicious activity depends on the service. Criminals who hack into a victim's Facebook or X account often steal credentials to give the buyer full access to the account. Those who access a WhatsApp account are likely to spy on messages or take screenshots.

Email Hack

According to Crowe's data, email hacks sell for $700 on average. In this activity, the hacker steals the victim's email password and then gives that password to the buyer or logs into the account to access the data. In some cases, the criminal may set up an email forwarding process to obtain a copy of all of the victim's emails.

SEE: Engage executives: How to present cybersecurity in a way that resonates (TechRepublic)

Changing grades

Students who want a higher grade can pay someone to hack into a school system and change their grades. Available for both primary schools and universities, this is one of the most common hacking services and one of the most expensive. In addition, some hackers also say that they can steal the answers to future exams. So, that means a student can get an A+ for test scores, but an F- for ethical behavior.

According to Crowe, hackers offer access to databases for grading software run by universities. This type of service is not cheap; The average cost is $1,600.

Conclusion

As we can see from the variety of threats and remarkably low prices, the dangers of piracy require people and businesses to constantly remain alert.

I recommend monitoring the Dark Web Price Index as it is a useful resource that shows attack trends.

Other actions you can take may include employee awareness training, robust antivirus measures, penetration testing, and even employing an ethical hacker to proactively identify and address vulnerabilities in your organization.

Finally, and because enlightenment is our noble intention, stay up to date with the latest cybersecurity news at TechRepublic and increase your knowledge with training courses at TechRepublic Academy. There is no reason to allow the Dark Web to darken your door.