Threat groups have become more unconventional as time passes after security researchers found a Discord server nested by a group of teenagers that helps develop, upgrade, advertise, and sell malware and ransomware tools to earn a quick profit.
Upon gaining access to the Discord server, the researchers had easily figured that these malware sellers were minors since they had been mentioning their parents, guardians, and teachers and also throwing childish insults and slang banters in their discussions.
A wide list of malware and ransomware variants are seen being offered by the minors on the platform, including some infostealers and cryptominers. Furthermore, most of the items they sold were easy-to-use, such as DIYs, to aid their clients in deploying the tools without much effort.
To become a group member on the Discord server, interested applicants must pay a fee.
The researchers said that the members are asking for a membership fee ranging from €5 and €25 for any aspiring individuals to be included in the server. From the last checking, about a hundred user accounts are currently subscribed to the hacking group.
In distributing the malware strains, the teen hackers create YouTube content about a demonstration of a fake computer game or software crack with a download link in the description section, while other members from the same Discord server post fake comments on the video to lure people into believing that the demo was real and have them install the malicious payload on their computers.
It is becoming evident that the cybercriminal community is expanding over time, and even proficient teenagers have become interested in participating. Experts, however, say that the hacking skills of these young people could be used for well-intended purposes, such as aiding cybersecurity groups in defeating cyber adversaries and improving people’s online security.
And as people say, education starts at home. Thus, parents must be the ones to guide their children in making decisions about which kind of community to partake in, including discouraging them from participating in illegal activities such as malware distribution. The guardians could rather urge the youth to use their skills in something that could benefit the community positively.
Furthermore, minors must be carefully guarded as to which activities they do online, considering that the internet is a dangerous environment for everyone if utilised inappropriately.
