{"id":99805,"date":"2024-12-14T12:50:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-14T04:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/?p=99805"},"modified":"2024-12-04T12:54:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T04:54:10","slug":"the-darkest-season-the-peak-time-of-cyber-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/en\/2024\/12\/the-darkest-season-the-peak-time-of-cyber-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"The darkest season: the peak time of cyber threats"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"99805\" class=\"elementor elementor-99805\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-35fe5dd post-content elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"35fe5dd\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;cef08c3&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-409a2e9a\" data-id=\"409a2e9a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a8be8f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a8be8f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.nordlayer.com\/uploads\/large_The_darkest_season_blog_cover_86315e6aed.png\" width=\"1000\" height=\"571\" \/><\/p><div class=\"Grid_item__8Wd1v Grid_col9Lg__IiDDJ BlogArticle_contentGrid__wDyG9\"><div class=\"BlogArticle_articleSummary__vUkIt\"><div class=\"ArticleSummary_markdownWrapper__admhj\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU Markdown_paragraph__WNGcF ArticleSummary_paragraph__AmdWA Text_bodyColor__a5sZX\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl ArticleSummary_strong__PSecf\">Summary:<\/strong> Dark web forums peak in activity during winter months. Holiday scams surge, boredom rises, and AI makes cyber-attacks easier.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-1\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">The dark web is a key enabler for cybercrime. It allows bad actors to share tools, knowledge, and services secretly.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Anyone wanting to buy illegal items\u2014like cyber-attack tools or drugs\u2014can find them on dark web marketplaces. These markets appear and disappear quickly as they get blocked. They are usually advertised on dark web forums, and some even have mirror sites on the clear web.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Researching the dark web is hard because marketplaces have short lifespans. They come and go quickly. That&#8217;s why NordLayer and <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"https:\/\/nordstellar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NordStellar<\/a> decided to analyze <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">dark web forums<\/strong> instead.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Forums are more stable over time. This stability makes it possible to see trends in discussions. These forums mix legal topics like news, politics, and content sharing with illegal activities.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">However, legal activities like whistleblowing make up <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"https:\/\/nordlayer.com\/blog\/dark-web-monitoring-for-business\/\">less than 1%<\/a> of the content. Illegal activities are the largest part. By studying these forums, we wanted to uncover new trends in illicit activities.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Our research shows that <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">illicit posts peak in November, December, and January<\/strong>. The darkest months of the year also see the most activity in the web&#8217;s shadowy corners.<\/p><h2 id=\"why-is-winter-the-peak-season-for-illicit-posts\" class=\"Heading_root__vbfeI Heading_heading30__45qwh Heading_primary__3VZgz Heading_medium__jmtkh SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading__EjJDp SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading2__q1N0l SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"heading\">Why is winter the peak season for illicit posts?<\/h2><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">We studied posts from June 2023 to October 2024. We categorized posts by topics and focused on illicit ones. Here\u2019s how those posts were distributed:<\/p><\/div><div id=\"section-2\"><div class=\"ArticleImage_root__wPCMO BlogArticle_articleImage__BPrGe\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.nordlayer.com\/uploads\/Topics_related_to_illegal_activities_d0608df810.png\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1100\" \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-3\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">These numbers reflect posts on the dark web, not actual attacks. However, research by <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"https:\/\/bitninja.com\/blog\/why-q4-is-the-most-dangerous-period-of-the-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BitNinja Security<\/a>, <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"http:\/\/cloudsecurityalliance.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cloud Security Alliance<\/a>, and <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"http:\/\/Mimecast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mimecast<\/a> shows that <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Q4 is also when most cyber-attacks take place<\/strong>. This suggests a link between increased dark web activity and real-world cybercrime during this period.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Why are threat actors more active in dark months, both discussing illicit topics and committing crimes?<\/p><\/div><div id=\"section-4\"><div class=\"ArticleDefinitionBox_root___JFdG BlogArticle_definitionBox__Ry_l_\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Carlos Salas (Sr. R&amp;D Engineer at NordLayer):<\/strong> \u201cIn most industries, November to January is the busiest time, mainly because of the high amount of transactions from <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas<\/strong>. Criminals exploit this, knowing people are more likely to click on a phishing link while going through thousands of email orders and offers, compromising their network security.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-5\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">It&#8217;s a known issue. Black Friday is already called Black Fraud Day. In the UK only, more than <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2024\/nov\/18\/black-friday-turning-into-black-day-says-uk-cybersecurity-chief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">16,000 reports of online shopping fraud<\/a> were recorded between November 2023 and January 2024, with each victim losing \u00a3695 on average.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"section-6\"><div class=\"ArticleDefinitionBox_root___JFdG BlogArticle_definitionBox__Ry_l_\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Andrius Buinovskis (Head of Product at NordLayer):<\/strong> \u201cEveryone is looking for gifts and the best prices, and fake ads try to hook you into deals. Bad actors exploit this season, using <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">urgency tactics boosted by AI<\/strong> to spread threats. People are more relaxed and less cautious, paying less attention to how they use personal and company devices. Employees might receive phishing emails like a supposed &#8216;yearly bonus&#8217; from the CEO, which could lead to catastrophic consequences for the company.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-7\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">But on dark web forums, people discuss not only cybercrime. A big part of forums is about sharing <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">pirated software and media<\/strong>, like movies.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">This number grows in dark months. Comparing the summer months of 2023 with November\u2014January, the number of dark forum posts about all kinds of pirated content <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">surged by 105%<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div><div id=\"section-8\"><div class=\"ArticleDefinitionBox_root___JFdG BlogArticle_definitionBox__Ry_l_\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Vakaris Noreika (Head of Product at NordStellar)<\/strong>: \u201cI think it&#8217;s the weather, to be honest. People tend to stay at home more and sit at their computers bored, which makes them more active in their cybercriminal activities. We&#8217;ve seen <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">a similar effect during the COVID lockdown<\/strong> when the number of dark web users increased a lot. We also see fewer large data breaches in the summer, and this cycle seems to repeat every year.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-9\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Like advanced persistent threats, \u201c<a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/11\/01\/the-biggest-underestimated-security-threat-of-today-advanced-persistent-teenagers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">advanced persistent teenagers<\/a>\u201d are now a problem. Bored but skilled threat actors cause major disruptions. They trick employees with emails and calls, posing as help desk staff. These attacks lead to data breaches affecting millions. <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Teenagers now show techniques once limited to nation-states.<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Another factor is adding to the boredom of dark web forum users. They are mostly from countries where winter is pretty harsh. Most users accessing Tor\u2014the browser used for dark web activities\u2014are from <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Germany<\/strong> (36%), <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">the US<\/strong> (14%), and <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Finland<\/strong> (4%). For countries where users access Tor via bridges, the top is <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Russia<\/strong> (41%). Maybe dark web forums are just the coziest winter hangouts.<\/p><h2 id=\"changing-platforms-and-ai-effects-on-cybercrime\" class=\"Heading_root__vbfeI Heading_heading30__45qwh Heading_primary__3VZgz Heading_medium__jmtkh SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading__EjJDp SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading2__q1N0l SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"heading\">Changing platforms and AI effects on cybercrime<\/h2><\/div><div id=\"section-10\"><div class=\"ArticleImage_root__wPCMO BlogArticle_articleImage__BPrGe\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.nordlayer.com\/uploads\/Dark_web_forums_peaked_with_illicit_posts_in_Nov_Jan_2023_467696d931.png\" width=\"1400\" height=\"952\" \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-11\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Our research shows that September and October of 2024 had much fewer posts about illicit things on dark web forums than a year before. Why is that?<\/p><\/div><div id=\"section-12\"><div class=\"ArticleDefinitionBox_root___JFdG BlogArticle_definitionBox__Ry_l_\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Vakaris Noreika<\/strong>: \u201cThere could be many reasons why this happens. The most notable ones are maybe the platform changes; some hacker forums close, others open up, some become popular to fade out later.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\">There are some hacker communities, especially from Russia, which have been active for more than 20 years now. This is because the forum owners don&#8217;t get arrested, unlike forum owners from the US, UK, etc., who do get arrested way more often.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Telegram<\/strong> has also been a huge platform change. We&#8217;ve seen exponential growth in hacking-related activity on Telegram since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. But Telegram activity is focused on niche topics, while forums cover a wider range of ideas.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-13\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Another trend affecting dark web discussions could be <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">AI use in cybercrime<\/strong>.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Retail and cloud computing giant Amazon, which can now view activity on around 25% of all IP addresses on the internet, says it is seeing <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/the-ai-effect-amazon-sees-nearly-1-billion-cyber-threats-a-day-15434edd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hundreds of millions more possible cyber threats<\/a> across the web each day compared to earlier this year. They used to see about 100 million hits per day, but that number has grown to <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">750 million<\/strong> over six or seven months.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">Amazon\u2019s Chief Information Security Officer is sure AI is making tasks easier for ordinary people, allowing them to do things they couldn\u2019t do before just by asking the computer. This might explain fewer discussions on dark web forums\u2014why ask others when AI can do the work for you?<\/p><h2 id=\"how-to-protect-organizations-during-peak-cybercrime-seasons\" class=\"Heading_root__vbfeI Heading_heading30__45qwh Heading_primary__3VZgz Heading_medium__jmtkh SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading__EjJDp SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading2__q1N0l SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"heading\">How to protect organizations during peak cybercrime seasons<\/h2><\/div><div id=\"section-14\"><div class=\"ArticleImage_root__wPCMO BlogArticle_articleImage__BPrGe\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.nordlayer.com\/uploads\/The_darkest_season_of_2023_24_focused_on_unauthorized_access_credentials_5162d092c2.png\" width=\"1400\" height=\"797\" \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-15\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">So, winter months bring not only holidays but also heightened cyber risks. Instead of enjoying time with your family, you might find yourself dealing with cyber-attacks.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">But don&#8217;t worry\u2014there are steps you can take to protect your organization. The good news is these measures aren&#8217;t expensive or hard to implement.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Many of these precautions are the same as those needed year-round.<\/strong> Basic cybersecurity practices like employee training, strong passwords, and regular software updates are essential.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Employee education is the first line of defense.<\/strong><\/p><\/div><div id=\"section-16\"><div class=\"ArticleDefinitionBox_root___JFdG BlogArticle_definitionBox__Ry_l_\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Vakaris Noreika<\/strong>: \u201cIt&#8217;s hard to control what happens with your employees. <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">It&#8217;s unavoidable that their data will be leaked online<\/strong>, and this data might be used to attack your company. Here&#8217;s what I always encourage companies to do:<\/p><ol class=\"SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_list__wACy0 List_list__ue2mH List_ol__GAsIC\"><li class=\"ListItem_item__IYMrj SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_listItem__cstSU ArticleDefinitionBox_listItem__QzHxM\"><div><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Educate employees<\/strong> about phishing, credential stuffing, and other popular attack methods.<\/div><\/li><li class=\"ListItem_item__IYMrj SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_listItem__cstSU ArticleDefinitionBox_listItem__QzHxM\"><div><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Take care of the information that&#8217;s already leaked<\/strong>: monitor it and react. NordStellar can help with that.<\/div><\/li><li class=\"ListItem_item__IYMrj SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_listItem__cstSU ArticleDefinitionBox_listItem__QzHxM\"><div><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Manage access<\/strong> to important company resources carefully.<\/div><\/li><\/ol><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\">By doing this, you will be better off than 99% of companies around.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-17\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Prepare now to minimize risks during the peak cyber-attack season.<\/strong><\/p><\/div><div id=\"section-18\"><div class=\"ArticleDefinitionBox_root___JFdG BlogArticle_definitionBox__Ry_l_\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\"><strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Carlos Salas:<\/strong> \u201c<strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Double down on cybersecurity awareness<\/strong> in months before the high season. Consider having a pentest done beforehand to know what could be exploited by criminals.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt\" data-testid=\"text\">That said, we&#8217;re humans, and there will always be a chance of clicking the wrong link or sharing the wrong files. So, practices such as <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">network segmentation<\/strong>, <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">setting up security policies for devices<\/strong>, or using toolsets such as <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">Data Loss Prevention suites<\/strong> and <strong class=\"Markdown_strong__zgufl\">malware protection<\/strong> are a must-have. They help contain the threats and minimize the &#8216;blast radius&#8217; of any security incident.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"section-19\"><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">With AI making cyber-attacks easier, it&#8217;s crucial to think about these things right now, when the cyber-attack season is at its peak. The next year could bring even more advanced threats.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">So, give your company a Christmas present and invest in a <a class=\"Link_inherit__NP_8V Link_medium__XEV_Z Link_noTextDecoration__GhdxD Link_aTagRoot__8wRP7 SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_link__aj_Vl\" href=\"https:\/\/nordlayer.com\/contact-sales\/\">solid cybersecurity solution<\/a>.<\/p><h2 id=\"methodology\" class=\"Heading_root__vbfeI Heading_heading30__45qwh Heading_primary__3VZgz Heading_medium__jmtkh SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading__EjJDp SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_heading2__q1N0l SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"heading\">Methodology<\/h2><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">NordStellar acquired data from over 80 forums where illicit activities are most often discussed. These forums span different web layers: the clear web, the deep web, and the dark web. We gathered textual content from forum threads between June 2023 and October 2024. The numbers we obtained represent the number of forum posts.<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">We used a fine-tuned AI model to categorize dark web posts into 67 tags. These tags were then grouped into 10 broader categories. For example, the tag &#8220;SERVICE&#8221; refers to posts where users offer services for a fee, including hacking or hiring hitmen. This tag falls under &#8220;Illicit services and marketplaces.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"Text_text__rSWMU SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_paragraph__rX5nt SharedArticleMarkdownComponents_horizontalSpacing__3J8kD\" data-testid=\"text\">The study is thorough but has limitations from analyzing posts on approximately 80 forums only. Additionally, the shorter lifecycle of criminal sites and the rapid rise of mirror sites can affect data consistency and completeness.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-cf03edf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cf03edf\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b576c6d\" data-id=\"b576c6d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9e34e91 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9e34e91\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" 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class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-bb2c932\" data-id=\"bb2c932\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bfd91ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"bfd91ca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\">\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"page\" data-elementor-id=\"63561\" class=\"elementor elementor-63561\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1b6aa2c4 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1b6aa2c4\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;c4f773e&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1b283ee5\" data-id=\"1b283ee5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e466f1a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e466f1a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>About NordLayer<br \/><\/strong>NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses \u2013 from the world\u2019s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security.<\/p><p>The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"page\" data-elementor-id=\"18103\" class=\"elementor elementor-18103\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-748947f elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"748947f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;c4f773e&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7995c19\" data-id=\"7995c19\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a437045 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-box\" data-id=\"a437045\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-box-wrapper\"><div class=\"elementor-image-box-content\"><h3 class=\"elementor-image-box-title\">About Version 2 Digital<\/h3><p class=\"elementor-image-box-description\">Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.\n<br><br>\nThrough an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: Dark web forums peak in activity during winter [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":149011790,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":true},"categories":[973,1130,1273,61],"tags":[974,1132,1272],"class_list":["post-99805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nord-security","category-nordlayer","category-1273","category-press-release","tag-nord-security","tag-nordlayer","tag-1272"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - 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