Cybercrime tools get cheaper

It's becoming cheaper and easier to get hold of the tools needed to launch a cybercrime attack, security firm RSA claimed on Thursday. Jens Hinrichsen, the company's product marketing manager for fraud auction, said RSA had been monitoring the websites and ICQ channels where malicious hackers and cybercriminals interact. These sites allow participants to share feedback and even review each other's products.

Addressing an audience at the RSA Conference 2007 in San Francisco, Hinrichsen showed several screengrabs to illustrate that the prices being asked for hacking tools have been dropping, with many participants embracing volume discounts and other incentives.

One example was a post offering a "Super Trojan" — which could be used to install malicious code on a victim's PC — for $600 (£307). "What's interesting is that this is actually a reviewed vendor, whose actually had a lot of good transactions. He's offering this custom piece of crimeware for only $600," said Hinrichsen, who said he "loved the term Super Trojan".

"So, when we talk about the ever-increasing ramp-up of more sophisticated tools, the prices are coming down."