As the COVID-19 pandemic pushes the above-ground economy to the brink of a major recession, the cybercrime economy appears to still be hard-charging ahead. And yet, the virus has rapidly reshaped the way business is being done on the dark web, as buyers and sellers jump on the opportunity to capitalize on global fears, as well as dramatic shifts in supply and demand.
Cybersecurity Ventures back in 2018 warned that by 2021, cybercrime damages might reach U.S. $6 trillion, a sum that would equal the GDP of the world’s third largest economy. Whether the coronavirus will drive that figure up or down remains to be seen, but things are changing in the dark web economy.