You May Be Surprised By What Really Sells in Dark Web Markets in 2020

60% of the Information for Sale on the Dark Web Can Damage a Business

Most IT professionals automatically figure Dark Web threats like stolen password files or different kinds of ransomware into their calculations when they’re planning cybersecurity strategies. However, there are many types of information that can hurt businesses that can be easily obtained on the Dark Web including:

Payment Card Information – Stolen or skimmed credit card data (and the software to capture it) is a perennial bestseller.

Research Data – Medical research including information about new drugs and therapies is a hot commodity, especially COVID-19 data.

Trade Secrets & Formulas – Proprietary manufacturing information is both popular and easy to sell.

Blueprints & Security Plans– From buildings to networks, all kinds of schematics and planning data is useful for bad actors.

Medical Records – They’re especially popular for blackmail and spearfishing ammunition.

Financial Records – This multipurpose data is desirable for money laundering, blackmail, spearfishing, and identity theft.

Intelligence Reports – International espionage is a big market that’s high-danger but high-reward.

Government Secrets – Investigations, communication, programs, budgets, documents, and more sell fast.

“As a Service” Offerings Are the New “It” Category

Why just sell your password when you can keep making money by selling your services? “As a Service” transactions on the Dark Web are proliferating, and that creates big dangers for every company. Malicious insiders with access to specialized data, systems, or institutions can make a fortune by selling their services to facilitate other cybercrimes.

Insider threats also include things like embezzlement, records tampering, money laundering, crypto mining, deploying malware, stock trading, espionage, and more dastardly deeds. These workers are generally looking for profit instead of revenge, but sometimes that’s a factor – and they’ll keep doing it until they’re caught.

Dark Web markets aren’t just focused on selling data, passwords, and hacking services. There’s also a booming trade in dangerous, illegal, and disgusting commodities that can’t be sold publicly like weapons, narcotics, stolen goods, looted antiquities, illegal commodities, endangered animals, slave labor, and child pornography – plus harmless yet strange things that you wouldn’t expect.

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