The world’s first marketplace where you can buy a hacker has been launched
Do you need a hacker? To do this, you no longer need to spend hours on the dark web, but just go to the market. A group of Spanish entrepreneurs launched Zerod, the world’s first hacker marketplace for business.
The service offers businesses of all sizes a way to find and hire security testing services for their technical infrastructure. At the time of its launch, about 150 security experts from 30 countries were available, and the site boasts that more than 1,500 vulnerabilities have been patched so far.
This move reflects the growing demand of companies for safe and professional security testing. Ethical hacking received a significant boost in 2022 when the US Department of Justice announced that “good faith” security research would no longer be subject to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
As a result, this form of advanced pen testing has gained popularity as the number of ransomware and foreign agent attacks has grown exponentially. Current estimates show that by 2028, the market could be worth more than $10 billion.
One of the key features of the new Zerod service is the client interface. The available specialists are displayed on a brightly colored global map, along with a stylish hover tool that allows you to evaluate and select. The entire experience is reminiscent of freelance sites like Upwork, which should make it much more accessible to busy IT managers in need of hacking services.
Each hacker specialist must have more than 5 years of experience and special certificates and credentials. Each of them then undergoes testing and a personal interview and agrees to continuous monitoring during the execution of their projects.
Customers who need an urgent pentest can register to receive three quick quotes from which they can choose the hacker they prefer. This is an interesting step compared to the usual Google search and bidding process.
In addition to this new market model, Zerod also offers more traditional corporate cybersecurity agency services. This includes more sophisticated penetration testing, ongoing forensic analysis, and external consulting expertise, such as the services of a chief information security officer. As you might expect, the company has comprehensive liability insurance and ISO 27001 certification, although the website does not have clear SLA terms, which may be a concern for some users.
Cybersecurity is becoming a serious problem around the world. In 2023 alone, more than 10% of large companies fell victim to ransomware attempts. According to Chainalysis, these attacks have generated an impressive $1.1 billion from victims, a huge increase from previous years.
Analysts attributed this growth to a significant escalation in the frequency, scale, and scope of attacks. More than 75% of ransomware payments were for $1 million or more. The attackers have clearly learned new tricks. There are already signs that one of the main areas of growth in the number of attacks is the growth in the number of markets selling ransomware tools to less experienced criminals.
