At the beginning of 2025, the average cost of a hacker attack using a ransomware virus was $20,000, Vedomosti reported citing a study by Positive Technologies. Information security specialists analyzed more than 20 thousand ads on hidden sites and Telegram channels.
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The stages of such an attack include collecting data about the company, preparing the infrastructure, purchasing tools, accessing the infrastructure, and deploying to it. If successful, attackers could receive between $100,000 and $130,000 in net profit, five times more than the preparation costs, said Positive Technologies analyst Dmitry Streltsov. In this case, the affected company will not only have to purchase access, but will also face financial losses due to violations of business processes.
According to the study, the most popular cybercriminal service was resource hacking (49% of messages). Prices for compromising a personal email account start from $100, corporate – from $200.
The main tool of hackers remains malicious software (malware). The price difference between tools is determined by the technology used and the seller’s reputation, Streltsov added. According to him, the most expensive type of malware is the encryptor: its average cost is 7.5 thousand dollars, while there are offers for 320 thousand dollars. This software is efficient, difficult to develop, spreads quickly in the infrastructure, and is better disguised. and eliminate traces of an attack.
According to Positive Technologies, 19% of ads offer information stealers ($70), 17% offer encryptors ($400), and 16% offer downloaders ($500). Also a popular tool for attacks are exploits or vulnerabilities, the cost of which in 31% of cases can exceed $20,000 and reach several million dollars.
Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence digital threat monitoring expert Alexander Zabrovsky added that an attack may cost attackers nothing if they use free or hacked tools, published information thieves’ log accounts, and leak data. However, the effectiveness of such an operation is reduced to zero if the potential victim follows basic recommendations and uses protective solutions, he added.
On January 19, Izvestia reported that virus-infected equipment could be sold on Russian markets. This technique can be used to steal financial information and personal data, as well as use infected devices for DDoS attacks or cryptocurrency mining.
On the topic: Protection of data and personal information
Author:
Anastasia Lipchanskaya
Source: RB

I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.