“Desperate” job seekers are advertising their willingness to work for cyber criminals on the darknet and hacking forums, according to a new report from Check Point Research. This is a growing trend that researchers haven’t observed before, as the norm is for criminals to seek new recruits rather than the other way around. The research tracked several known hacking forums and saw dozens of posts from individuals with no prior cybercrime experience begging for work that would earn them cash quickly. The researchers said they believed this is the result of the impact of COVID-19 on the global jobs market.
<p>Cybercrime is becoming increasingly normalised with the ease at which it can be bought and advertised online. When cybercrime is glamourised on social media, it makes the perceived risk seem smaller, which can influence people rapidly. Furthermore, where so many young people have been affected by the pandemic, more people are influenced into criminal activity; this often starts with simpler and potentially lower risk activity.</p> <p> </p> <p>The constant evolving demographic of cybercriminals means potential victims need to be continually updated on the threat landscape and remain even more alert to this growing trend.</p>