How to hackers make money
The successful hacker is the one whose real name is never known, who shuns the limelight, and stays off the radar. In fiction — notably the cyber punk novels by the likes of William Gibson and Bruce Sterling — these anonymous cyber crooks met in smoky bars to trade their wares, move data, and get paid. But in reality, hacking is far less colorful, with most transactions occurring on the dark web and other portions of the Internet untracked by search engines.
So, with anonymity paramount, paper trails taboo, and the honor thieves concealed by computer screens, the question remains, how do hackers today actually get paid? Really, to understand how hackers are paid, you have to take a step back and look at who they really are. The real world hacker is just as likely to be someone who has a day job, possibly even in the field of cyber security.
And in the U. After all, they can't exactly file a form, pay their taxes, and hope their illicit and illegal activities go otherwise unnoticed. But this doesn't mean hackers aren't making big scores online — and actually somehow getting paid. Those individuals offering their services or stolen goods on the dark web have numerous ways to receive compensation.
Criminals will pay for stolen data in gift cards, drugs, or other illicit items.
And just as Gibson's cyber punk novels involved those who could move stolen data, the real world has given rise to "digital fences" says Webber. For instance, the transferring of funds has been made easier thanks to services including Western Union, Cryptocheck and Money Gram, which allow for sending of cash.
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Meanwhile Bitcoin has opened an even more secure avenue for criminals to remain anonymous, making it a preferred option among the hacking community. And then there are the hackers who are actually paid by cash and check. Cyber punk novels may have led us to imagine shadowy figures working for large, international, mega-corporations.
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But in reality, while there are likely some hackers on staff in the corporate world, most of the on-the-books operators are likely working for a government entity. In some cases the hackers may enjoy a better lifestyle because of their skills and talent; while some regimes may hire international hackers and pay them officially as security consultants.
Uber Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as CEO: North Korea Donald Trump Says China Tried But Failed to Help on North Korea. How do hackers actually get paid for their services?
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