How much does it cost to hire a hacker on the dark web?

The dark web is a hodgepodge of illegal and criminal products and services for sale, and that certainly includes the cybercrime arena. From website hacking to DDoS attacks to custom malware and changing school grades, you can buy any of these services from a hacker. But how much do these types of programs really cost? A blog post published Tuesday by the consumer website Comparitech examines the types of hacking services available on the dark web and explores their prices.

To conduct the analysis, Comparitech researchers examined more than 100 listings of 12 different hacking services. Paul Bischoff, the post's author, said the actual price of many of the services was negotiated based on time, scope, complexity and level of risk. But Comparitech was still able to find average prices for many of these illegal services. The sales prices are usually listed in bitcoin, which Comparitech converts to U.S. dollars in its report.

The most expensive item on the list is personal attacks, which usually involve defamation, legal sabotage or financial interference attacks. Changing school grades was the next most expensive service. All hacks require payment up front, although some promise refunds if the hack fails.

Most hired hackers will only accept work if they believe they can get the job done. one organization found by Comparitech even says on its website, "In about 5-7% of cases, hacking is screwed up." Most hackers say they can get the job done in 24 hours, but more advanced and sophisticated attacks can take days or weeks.

Physical attacks

Hackers who specialize in personal attacks sell their services for an average of $551. Personal attacks may include financial damage, legal trouble or public defamation. One tactic hackers peddle is to falsely frame victims as purchasers of child pornography. Some hackers offer services such as "Fraudster Revenge" or "Fraud Tracker" in which they will attack fraudsters.

Modifying grades

Students who want to get higher grades can actually pay hackers an average of $526 to break into school systems and change their grades. Available at both elementary schools and colleges, this is one of the most common hacking services, and one of the most expensive. As a side project, some hackers also say they can steal answers to future exams.

Website Attacks

Website attacks cost an average of $394 and include attacks on Web sites and other online hosting services. one hacking group cited by Comparitech says it can access the underlying Web server or the Web site's administration panel. Another hacking group boasted that it could drag and drop databases and access the administrative backend.

Computer and phone attacks
The average cost of computer and phone hacking services is $343. In this type of attack, hackers break into the victim's PC or phone to steal data or deploy malware. The operating system does not seem to matter, as they boast access to Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, BlackBerry or Windows Phone.

Social Media Account Attacks

The average cost of hacking a social media account is $230. In this service, hackers will monitor or hijack accounts on platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype, Telegram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit. The malicious activity depends on the service. Criminals who hack into a victim's Facebook or Twitter account typically steal credentials and give the buyer full access to the account. Those who breach accounts from WhatsApp may peek at messages or take screenshots.

Email Attacks

The average selling price for an email attack is $241. In this campaign, hackers steal the victim's email password and then provide that password to the buyer or access the email account to haul in emails. In some cases, criminals may set up an email forwarding process to obtain a copy of all victim emails.

DDoS Attacks

Hackers offering distributed denial-of-service attacks charge an average of $26 per hour, although prices vary depending on the duration and bandwidth of the attack. Some hackers will charge by the hour or even by the month, keeping the attack going for as long as the buyer wants.

In addition to the mainstream services that are priced, Comparitech said it has found other, more niche, niche services.

Some hackers will break into a hospital's COVID-19 vaccination database and steal data or add their names to it; some will change search engine results to improve or lower a site's ranking; some will delete posts made by buyers on social networks; and others will audit a site's security, seemingly to show the site owner where there are vulnerabilities.