Europol also flagged the role of initial access brokers and data brokers in systematising this ecosystem.
Europol has warned that the rise in demand for illicit data is driving a thriving underground cybercrime economy centred on ransomware, fraud, extortion, and child exploitation.
It’s latest Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment stresses that data has become the cyber underground's "central commodity." It is used to infiltrate systems, execute scams, and facilitate abuse, while being continually recycled through a "vicious cycle" of breaches, account takeovers, and resale across encrypted channels and darknet forums.
Reported by Infosecurity Magazine, Europol also flagged the role of initial access brokers and data brokers in systematising this ecosystem.
To counteract the threat, it recommended lawful access to encrypted communications, standardised EU metadata policies, and better public education around digital security.
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
