Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) : The 9-to-5 of Organized Cybercrime

mood · Oct 31, 2020

Anyone, even you, can carry out cyberattacks with the Malware-as-a-Service model
October 30, 2020
https://www.seqrite.com/blog/anyone...rattacks-with-the-malware-as-a-service-model/

In an age where solutions like cloud, mobility, storage and security are offered as part of service models, it is to no surprise that malware also has its service offering, aptly called Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS)?

Of course, there’s a misnomer in the name itself — unlike the other solutions, malware isn’t really of any kind of service to the end-user. It’s the opposite — malware is likely to cause serious damage and information loss to enterprise systems.
Malware on sale to the highest bidder
The Malware-as-a-Service model is a result of the current evolution of solutions & services being offered through external parties.

We have previously written about “script kiddies” who buy packaged malware exploits from black markets or the dark web and run their payloads to make profits. This is the Malware-as-a-Service model in a nutshell where ‘Darknet’ markets offer different varieties of malware exploits for sale to interested bidders.
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There are three key levels in the MaaS model. Let’s understand each of them:
First level: Developers of Malware
These are the elite-level experts who are masters of cybercrime. They keep experimenting and creating highly developed malware using different techniques with an added emphasis on zero-day exploits.
Second level: Sellers & Distributers of Malware
The individuals involved at this level are concerned with the selling and distribution of the malware created by expert developers.
Third level: Buyers of Malware
Everyone who wants to buy malware can be classified into this level. They may involve cybercriminals without the necessary technical knowledge to carry out exploits on their own, security agencies from nation-states aiming to buy malware to study it or to use it against enemy states or even cybersecurity researchers.
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The Malware-as-a-Service model is dangerous for enterprises as it reduces the amount of effort and knowledge for threat actors to carry out cyberattacks.
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mood · Jun 25, 2021

Malware-as-a-Service is a Booming Business
June 25, 2021
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/opinions/malware-service-booming-business/

Malware-as-a-service (MaaS) has grown into a booming business for cybercrime organizations. The ransomware plague is estimated to have cost the world over $1bn in 2020, with attackers using MaaS to target large enterprises with critical or sensitive assets – which is known in the industry as “big game hunting.”

MaaS has become popular because it is powerful and instantly ready to use. Malware creators handle the development and maintenance of MaaS, emboldening less sophisticated threat actors by removing the need for exploit-writing technical skills.
Similar to the software as a services (SaaS) revenue model, MaaS offers access to botnets that distribute malware. The paid service usually includes a personal account where non-technical cyber-criminals can control the attack and get technical support.
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Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) : The 9-to-5 of Organized Cybercrime

mood Updates Team

mood Updates Team