Security Expert: Automation Has Created Cybercrime 'At The Click Of A Mouse'

Just as Software-as-a-Service has upended the IT landscape, Crime-as-a-Service has changed the way hackers commit data breaches.

Marc Goodman, global security adviser, futurist and founder of the Future Crimes Institute, spoke about the automation of cybercrime at the NexGen Cloud Conference, hosted by CRN parent The Channel Company, in Anaheim, Calif.

’In the old days you needed to be a master hacker to carry out attacks,’ Goodman said. ’Today, master hackers are taking all their technological knowledge and coding it into software that can commit crime, so-called crimeware.’

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One example of crimeware is BlackShades, a ’criminal franchise in a box’ available for $2,500. It even leverages big data.

’BlackShades comes with a dashboard so criminals can measure how effective they are at ripping people off, and how much money they’ve stolen,’ Goodman said.

’It’s crime at the click of a mouse.’

According to the security expert, cybercriminals, more than ever before, operate on the cutting edge of technology. That makes them tougher to fight.

’The bottom line is that crime used to be carried out by human beings. Today, human beings are disappearing into the background, and algorithms can commit crimes by themselves. In fact, we’re even seeing criminals use artificial intelligence,’ he said.