According to Trend Micro research, trust has eroded among criminal interactions, leading to a switch to e-commerce platforms and communications via Discord, both to increase user anonymisation.
"This report highlights the threat intelligence we collect and analyze from global cybercriminal networks that enables us to alert, prepare and protect our corporate customers and partners," the company says. "This research helps us inform businesses early about emerging threats, such as Deepfake ransomware, AI bots, Access-as-a-Service and highly targeted SIM-swapping. A layered, risk-based response is vital for mitigating the risk posed by these and other increasingly popular threats."
The report claims law enforcement efforts are leaving an impact on the cybercrime underground. Global police entities have taken down a number of forums, and the remaining forums are currently experiencing persistent DDoS attacks and log-in problems, impacting their usefulness. Meanwhile the loss of trust has lead to the creation of DarkNet Trust, a website created to verify vendors and increase user anonymity. Other underground markets are launching new security measures, including direct buyer-to-vendor payments, multi-signatures for cryptocurrency transactions, encrypted messaging and a ban on JavaScript.