Hackers are adopting organized crime tactics to make billions from victims all over the globe.
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Over just the last three years, Chinese cyber criminals have gone from relatively solitary players to adopting the same tactics favored by organized crime syndicates in Russia and other nations with lax cyber crime laws and enforcement.
These findings come from research conducted by Anne An, a senior security researcher in McAfee's Advanced Programs Group, a lesser-known division of McAfee that conducts deep-dive, bespoke cybersecurity research and intelligence gathering to help companies counter threats before they become full-scale attacks.
SEE: Phishing and spearphishing: An IT pro's guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
"I think the biggest take away from this research is that Chinese non-state actors; they're no longer low-skill hackers trying to make extra money," An said. "They have transformed from small local networks targeting mostly Chinese businesses and citizens to large well-organized criminal groups hacking international organizations."
Just like their more-advanced counterparts in Russia, the motivation is simple: Money. The average income in China is around $8,000 per year, An said. Hackers can make $1,400 per day. "China's cybercrime enterprise is large, lucrative and expanding quickly," An said in a blog post announcing her findings. "According to chinese cyber criminals getting organized dangerous
