Cybercrime Organizational Structures Evolve

An anonymous reader writes "The latest findings of a report explore the trend of loosely organized clusters of attackers trading stolen data online being replaced by hierarchical cybercrime organizations. These organizations deploy sophisticated pricing models, crimeware business models refined for optimal operation, crimeware drop zones, and campaigns for optimal distribution of the crimeware. These cybercrime organizations consist of strict hierarchies, in which each cybercriminal is rewarded according to his position and task."

Website protection rackets

[bornyesterday]

Ok buddy, this is how it's going to work. You're going to pay us 10% of the profits you get off your google ads. What we're going to do for you is make sure that no one else is out there pushing in on your corner of the market. We'll even set up a bunch of other sites that refer people to your site to increase your business.

If you don't pay up, we'll vandalize your page, buy your domain out from under you and unplug your server.

Re:Coming the fall to HBO

[Mooga]

I don't see how this is "New News." I have heard several public government speakers in the past that talked about how cyber crime it based on the Mafia hierarchy.

Sounds like Uplink

[sp332]

Does anyone remember Introversion's little hacker game, Uplink?

You worked as a (mostly malicious) contract hacker for a corp called Uplink, creating and editing identities for clients, stealing and deleting data, and transferring large sums of money in exchange for a bounty proportional to the difficulty/danger of being caught.

Looks very similar to this situation.

Just checked - you can still buy Uplink on Steam for $10.