Commercializing Cyber Crime with Search and Retrieval

July 14, 2022

I read “Ransomware Gangs Offer Ability to Search Stolen Data.” The write up reports:

Bleeping Computer reported today that the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang was the first to offer the feature, announcing that they have created a searchable database with leaks from nonpaying victims. The hackers said that their stolen data had been fully indexed and that the search feature included support for finding information by filename or by content available in documents and images. The BlackCat ransomware gang claims it is offering the search service to make it easier for cybercriminals to find passwords or other confidential information.

Other alleged bad actors are offering a search function as well. These are Lockbit and Karakurt.

Several observations:

  1. Commercialization of cyber crime has been a characteristic of some of the more forward-leaning bad actors
  2. The availability of open source search makes it easy to add functionality
  3. More productization is inevitable; for example, subscriptions to Crime as a Service.

Net net: The focus of crime analysts and investigators may have to embrace enablers like Internet Service Providers, cloud services, and open source code repositories.

Stephen E Arnold, July 14, 2022

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