Darkode: Recruitment Patterns and Transactional Features of “the Most Dangerous Cybercrime Forum in the World”

This article explores the social and market dynamics of Darkode, an invitation-only cybercrime forum that was dismantled by the FBI in July 2015 and was described by a U.S. Attorney as “the most sophisticated English-speaking forum for criminal computer hackers in the world.” Based on a leaked datab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American behavioral scientist (Beverly Hills) 2017-10, Vol.61 (11), p.1219-1243
Main Authors: Dupont, Benoît, Côté, Anne-Marie, Boutin, Jean-Ian, Fernandez, José
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allegations
American English
Cybercrime
Fraud
Hackers
Hacking
Identity theft
Internet
Law enforcement
Markets
Qualitative research
Recruitment
Social dynamics
Social systems
Software
Trust
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Summary:This article explores the social and market dynamics of Darkode, an invitation-only cybercrime forum that was dismantled by the FBI in July 2015 and was described by a U.S. Attorney as “the most sophisticated English-speaking forum for criminal computer hackers in the world.” Based on a leaked database of 4,788 discussion threads, we examine the selection process through which 344 potential new members introduced themselves to the community in order to be accepted into this exclusive group. Using a qualitative approach, we attempt to assess whether this rigorous procedure significantly enhanced the trust between traders, and therefore, contributed to the efficiency of this online illicit marketplace. We find that trust remained elusive and interactions were often fraught with suspicion and accusations. Even hackers who were considered successful faced significant challenges in trying to profit from the sale of malicious software and stolen data.
ISSN:0002-7642
1552-3381
DOI:10.1177/0002764217734263