Webroot: For years, cybercriminals have been building ‘hit lists’of potential targets through automated and efficiency-oriented reconnaissance TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures). The aim is to fraudulently/maliciously capitalize on these databases consisting of both corporate and government users.
Seeking a positive return on their fraudulent/malicious activities, cybercriminals also actively apply basic QA (Quality Assurance) processes, standardization, systematic releasing of DIY (do-it-yourself) cybercrime-friendly applications – all to further ensure a profitable outcome for their campaigns. Thanks to the active implementation of these TTPs, in 2014, the market segments for spam-ready managed services/blackhat SEO (search engine optimization) continue to flourish with experienced vendors starting to ‘vertically integrate’ within the cybercrime ecosystem which is an indication of an understanding of basic business/economic processes/theories.