The Price of Secrets: How Initial Access Brokers Value Corporate Access Credentials

By offering access to compromised networks and systems, initial access brokers (IABs) are key players in the cybercrime ecosystem. A number of factors influence the cost of these access credentials, the most important being the type of access, company revenue, and the country tier. Understanding the interplay between these variables can offer valuable insights into the cybercrime black market.

Countries are categorized into different tiers based on various factors, including economic strength, and the general level of digital infrastructure. Typically, higher-tier countries command higher prices for access credentials. Here's a breakdown of how country tiers impact pricing:

Tier 1 Countries: These include economically strong nations such as the United States, Canada, and Western European countries. Access to companies in these countries is generally more expensive due to the potential for higher returns and the increased difficulty of breaching their systems.

Tier 2 Countries: These are countries with moderate economic strength and cybersecurity defenses, such as Eastern European countries and some Asian nations. Prices for access in these countries are generally lower than tier 1 but still significant.

Tier 3 Countries: These include economically weaker nations with less stringent cybersecurity measures. Access to companies in these countries is typically the least expensive.

Company revenue is another factor in determining the price of access credentials. Higher revenue companies usually have more valuable data and resources, making them more attractive targets for cybercriminals. Brokers often use tools like ZoomInfo to estimate a company's revenue. Here’s how revenue impacts pricing:

High Revenue Companies: Large enterprises with substantial revenue are prime targets. Access to these companies can be sold at a premium due to the potential for significant financial gain from ransomware, data theft, or other malicious activities.

Mid-Sized Companies: Medium-sized businesses represent a middle ground. They have valuable data and resources but may not have the same level of cybersecurity defenses as large enterprises. Prices for access are moderate.

Small Companies: Small businesses typically have lower revenue and may not be as lucrative for cybercriminals. As a result, access credentials for these companies are generally sold at lower prices.

The type of access being sold is perhaps the most direct determinant of pricing. Different types of access credentials provide varying levels of control and potential for exploitation. Here are the main types of access and their relative pricing:

Domain Access: This type of access allows logging into a company's internal domain network. It offers significant control and potential for lateral movement within the network, making it highly valuable and expensive.

SMTP Access: Email credentials that control a company email account can be used for phishing, spamming, and other malicious activities. While valuable, it is typically less expensive than domain access.

VPN Access: Virtual private network credentials allow remote access to a company's internal network. This type of access provides considerable control and is priced accordingly.

Database Access: Direct login credentials for accessing sensitive databases are highly valuable due to the potential for data theft or manipulation. Prices for database access are generally high.

Looking at the examples below, you will see that buyers and sellers all follow a common format that specifies the type of access, revenue, and geolocation (sometimes tier) of the country. This is a normal format when dealing with IABs, and as mentioned above, these variables usually determine the price of specific offerings.

In most cases, transactions are conducted through a forum escrow system until trust is established between both the seller and buyer. Once trust is established, transactions are often taken off-platform and dealt with directly.

The same sellers will usually broker access for a long period of time, developing a reputation as trustworthy IABs and gaining a stream of continuous access to different types of organizations.

If you take a look above, you will see a thread posted by a user called Nick Diesel. By browsing their profile, you can see that they have a continuous thread of offerings and post almost daily updates on what they have access to and what they’re selling.

While access to specific applications like Slack, Zoom, or Discord might seem valuable, the IAB landscape primarily focuses on broader access that grants control over infrastructure or databases.

This allows malicious actors to pivot within a compromised network and gain access to various applications and data stores. Selling individual application accounts is less common and usually limited to consumer-level accounts sold in bulk.

IABs often gain access to corporate networks through phishing and spear phishing attacks. Modern threat actors are creating increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks that often leverage advanced social engineering techniques, making them harder to detect and mitigate. To stay ahead of these threats, organizations need an AI-powered solution that can analyze vast amounts of data in real time, identify subtle signs of phishing, and adapt to emerging threats. Implementing such advanced technology ensures a more robust defense against these ever-more complex attacks.

Abnormal’s API-based solution utilizes behavioral data to understand the communication patterns and processes of every employee and vendor across your organization. By applying computer vision and natural language processing (NLP) to analyze email content, we can identify anomalous activity and detect potential threats before they reach employee inboxes.

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