On one hand we have craigslist , the classified advertisement board where users post jobs or buy and sell goods; and on the other hand, there’s Hacker’s List , a site where users post and accept hacking related gigs. Meaning, for the right price, you can hire a personal hacker to retrieve your stolen email account, test your company’s cybersecurity, or commit a computer crime at your behest (something we don’t encourage).
This type of service has actually been around for years in the Dark Web, that secret part of the Internet unlisted on search queries. Hacker’s List simply brings it to the “mainstream.” Technically speaking, accessing the hidden content is extremely easy, so the shock value of seeing this form of business sprout up on the outer web has certainly diminished.
Currently, there are currently over 500 posts on the site ranging from a user offering $300 to $500 to have a hateful YouTube video removed, to another user offering between $300 and $600 to change his/her final college course grade. Of course, this all done anonymously, where the price of ignorance is potential jail time.
How to begin
Once you’ve registered an employer account and filled out the basic job needs and requirements, hackers from all around the world submit proposals highlighting what they think is the most effective strategy for fulfilling your task. Once you’ve reviewed the appropriate information — price, skill, and availability — it’s time to agree on the pricing scheme.
Hacker’s List performs the transaction as the middleman, acting as an escrow service between the employer and the hacker. Meaning, funds are only disbursed upon completion of the task. If things go sour and the site’s “dedicated dispute process” cannot resolve the disagreement, it will issue a refund.
The hackers themselves must maintain a good standing with their clients in order to accept a contract. If their ratings drop below 3/5 stars, due to overcharging or failing to deliver, they are removed from the website. Each profile lists the hacker’s hourly rate, total earning, as well as their available skills. So far, I’ve seen data recovery, application testing, penetration testing, 3D animation, programming, Photoshop, computer forensics, “ethical hacking”, .NET on the list.
Unfortunately, some of the listed auctions are seemingly nefarious; the New York Times reports that one woman is offering $500 to hack her boyfriend’s Facebook and Gmail account. The site, which is register in New Zealand, presumably protects itself from legal disputes by stating that it doesn’t endorse nor condone illegal activities. Furthermore, both parties are forced to accept a terms of agreement which explicitly states they will not user the site for illegal purposes. Whether or not this actually holds up in court remains to be seen.
Disclaimer: EP does not endorse Hacker’s List or hacking-related activities, we’re merely reporting the news.
Source: NYTimes
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