Cyberattack Tools as Cheap as a Burger

For the price of a fast-food burger, you can buy tools needed to initiate cyberattacks of all kinds.

That’s according to data presented by the Atlas VPN team. Different types of cyberattack packs, including phishing, ransomware, distributed denial of service (DDoS) and others can be purchased for less than $50 on the dark web, with some starting as low as $5.

Ruta Cizinauskaite is cybersecurity writer and researcher at Atlas VPN.

“The data leads to an unsettling revelation that cyberattacks are no longer limited to professional hackers,” she said. “With cyberattack kits being so readily available on the dark web and the prices so low, anyone who dares step into the dark net can acquire the tools needed to launch a cyberattack.”

Remote access trojan/tool (RAT), malicious software that allows one to gain full access and remote control of another device’s system, is the cheapest cyberattack tool on the dark web. Prices start at just $5 and can go up to $45.

Phishing attack packs are also on the lower end of the price scale. In particular, the avengers whaling phishing kit costs as little as $7.

Next comes the ultimate password-cracking pack with instructions, demo and help. These tools are designed to discover devices’ passwords and can be had for only $10. For the same $10, dark web users can also get a DDoS attack kit.

The ultra-dangerous malware suite costs $12. However, the dangerous malware pack 2021 edition costs almost twice as much. Meanwhile, a hacker startup kit can be bought for as little as $14.

Prices of basic ransomware, which employs encryption to hold victims’ data at ransom, start at $15 and can go up to $76. Ransomware with source code, on the other hand, costs $50. The source code can help malicious actors customize the ransomware to their own malware campaigns.

Finally, prices for VPN breach packs vary between $15 and $100.