Jan15 |
7:44 am (UTC-7) | by
David Sancho (Senior Threat Researcher) |
DarkMarket closed shop recently. If you have not heard from them, do not worry too much. This website, which operates from different places worldwide managed to join all sorts of credit card crooks and provided different levels of seller verification, escrow services, and malware consulting.
It finally went offline and its owners put in custody, thanks to the efforts of different law enforcement units throughout the world. It is, in moments like these, that the combined efforts of the IT security industry and law enforcement can really be appreciated.
For cybercriminals, it is, of course, just a drop in the ocean, and I am sure the underground will recover (in fact, it has probably already done so) but this is definitely a step toward the right direction and that feels reassuring.
The arrest of these two individuals, one in London and the other in Turkey, sends a message to all cybercrooks out there—that no matter where you are, you are not above the law. More information about this story can be found in the Guardian.
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January 16th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Something that "feels reassuring" generally isn't. Use your brain, not your gut. A couple of idiot malware writers got caught, that's all. Cybercrime is about a lot more than little rings of people providing illicit services to criminals in less-developed countries. Don't you think stuff like this is a symptom of a larger problem? Saying that this sends a message to 'cybercrooks' that they are not above the law is …idealistic. Do you think every time a burglar is arrested, burglars everywhere get the message that they are 'not above the law'? I don't think using such language shows a very good understanding of criminal psychology, anyway. I've yet to meet someone who considers themselves "above" the law (except for politicians and intelligence operatives of course). Criminals do what they do to make a profit or get something they desire, because the course of action is presented to them and is easier *or* more lucrative than more law-abiding options, not because they think they have some sort of right to get away with it. As long as they *can* get away with it, however, they *do.* This isn't a question of being above the law, but rather ignoring it entirely when it suits their needs.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Great news!
Your link to the article is incomplete, btw.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/darkmarket-online-fraud-trial-wembley