Organized Crime

(OBJ 2.1)

Organized Crime Groups

• Organized cybercrime groups are groups or syndicates that have banded together to conduct criminal activities in the digital world
  • Sophisticated and well structured
  • Use resources and technical skills for illicit gain
  • Operate similar to traditional organized crime
    • Sometimes operate across national borders which represent a challenge to track their attacks

Organized crime tech stack

• In terms of their technical capabilities, organized crime groups possess a very high level of technical capability and they often employ advanced hacking techniques and tools
  • Custom Malware
  • Ransomware
  • Sophisticated Phishing Campaigns
  • Constantly exploiting emerging technologies
    • Cryptocurrencies
    • Dark Web
    • Cellular Collection Devices

Motivations of organized crime

• These criminal groups will engage in a variety of illicit activities to generate revenue for their members

  • Data Breaches
  • Identity Theft
  • Online Fraud
  • Ransomware Attacks

• Unlike hacktivists or nation state actors, organized cybercrime groups are not typically driven by ideological or political objectives

  • These groups may be hired by other entities, including governments, to conduct cyber operations and attacks on their behalf
  • They may operate in the political spectrum but only for financial gain

• Money, not other motivations is the objective of their attacks even if the attack takes place in the political sphere

Popular organized crime groups

• FIN7
  • Sophisticated cybercrime syndicate that has been linked to numerous high profile data breaches
  • Sophisticated phishing attacks
• Carbanak
  • Sophisticated cybercrime syndicate that has stolen over $1 billion from various banks around the world
  • Infiltrate in various bank networks to manipulate these systems