The Marketing and Sales of Stolen Data

Holt, Thomas J.; Smirnova, Olga; Chua, Yi-Ting

doi:10.1057/978-1-137-58904-0_2

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Most criminological research into stolen data so far has focused on stolen financial data, such as credit card information (e.g., Chua 2016a and2016b). However, account credentials apply to a wide range of different types of accounts instead of only financial accounts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stolen account credentials: an empirical comparison of online dissemination on different platforms

Madarie

Ruiter

Steenbeek

et al. 2019

Journal of Crime and Justice

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Account hijacking, i.e. illegitimately accessing someone else's personal online account, is on the rise and affects not only financial accounts, but the full spectrum of online accounts. To gain more insight in the illicit act of online dissemination of stolen account credentials, we systematically examined how such credentials were offered on three different types of online platforms where stolen credentials were disseminated and how offers varied by platform. We used web scrapes of these platforms for our comparative analyses. Our results demonstrate variation by platform in the type of information on accounts and account holders offered, the average asking price for credentials, and rules and services following a transaction. We conclude with policy implications and suggestions for future research based on the criminal event perspective.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stolen account credentials: an empirical comparison of online dissemination on different platforms

Madarie

Ruiter

Steenbeek

et al. 2019

Journal of Crime and Justice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These studies illustrate the critical role and impact online payment platforms have in the completion of illicit economic exchanges through online markets. Research has documented the unique transitions observed in payment platforms used by cybercriminals over time (Holt et al, 2016; Kruisbergen et al, 2019; Trautman, 2014). Digital currency platforms such as e-gold were initially serviced in the mid-2000s by individuals who sought to open payment accounts and convert traditional currencies into separately valued currency (Holt et al, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research has documented the unique transitions observed in payment platforms used by cybercriminals over time (Holt et al, 2016; Kruisbergen et al, 2019; Trautman, 2014). Digital currency platforms such as e-gold were initially serviced in the mid-2000s by individuals who sought to open payment accounts and convert traditional currencies into separately valued currency (Holt et al, 2016). This system was eventually supplanted by other platforms such as Liberty Reserve and WebMoney, which were frequently serviced by hackers and other cybercriminals (Holt & Lampke, 2010; Hutchings & Holt, 2015; Trautman, 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An Assessment of Cryptomixing Services in Online Illicit Markets

Holt

Lee

Griffith

2023

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

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The internet has become a popular marketplace for the sale of illicit products, including stolen personal information, drugs, and firearms. Many of these products are acquired using cryptocurrencies, which are generally defined as forms of digital currency that is traceable through blockchain ledger technology. These currencies are thought to be more secure than other forms of digital payment, though law enforcement and financial service providers have found ways to investigate account holders and their transactions. Consequently, several service providers have begun to offer cryptomixing services, which effectively launders payments to circumvent detection and investigation tools. Few have explored the practices of cryptomixing services, or the ways in which they are marketed on the Open and Dark Web. This inductive qualitative analysis will examine a sample of 18 cryptomixing services advertised on both the Open and Dark Web to better understand cryptomixing and its role in facilitating illicit transactions across the internet.

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“…In the internet age, organizations regularly solicit, process, retain, and analyze data related to financial transactions, communications, personnel, clients, and the like (Newman & Clarke, 2003; Yar & Steinmetz, 2019). While some data retained by organizations is mundane, much can be considered “sensitive”—that it can be abused in the wrong hands—including financial data and personal identifying information (PII) (Hinduja & Kooi, 2013; Holt et al, 2016). Organizations have thus become prime targets for illicit hackers and other unscrupulous actors interested in accessing and abusing sensitive information and computer systems (Holt et al, 2016; Khey & Sainato, 2013; Verizon, 2021).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Falling for Social Engineering: A Qualitative Analysis of Social Engineering Policy Recommendations

Steinmetz

Holt

2022

Social Science Computer Review

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The current study examines recommendations for addressing organizational members who fall prey to social engineering as a matter of organizational policy through a qualitative analysis of interviews with organizational IT security administrators, IT security auditors, and social engineers. The results of this analysis indicate that participants had an aversion to punitive approaches to security failures. Instead, they tended to favor education as a more pragmatic and humane solution. Others argued that emphasis should be given to rewarding positive security behavior over punishing lapses. Few participants contended that there is a time and place for harsher sanctions but generally only for repeat offenders. Implications for security policy, deterrence theory, and reintegrative shaming theory are considered.

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The Marketing and Sales of Stolen Data

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Stolen account credentials: an empirical comparison of online dissemination on different platforms

Stolen account credentials: an empirical comparison of online dissemination on different platforms

An Assessment of Cryptomixing Services in Online Illicit Markets

Falling for Social Engineering: A Qualitative Analysis of Social Engineering Policy Recommendations

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