Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web: Forums, IRC and carding shops

Victor Benjamin; Weifeng Li; Thomas Holt; Hsinchun Chen

doi:10.1109/ISI.2015.7165944

Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web: Forums, IRC and carding shops

Victor Benjamin, Weifeng Li, Thomas Holt, Hsinchun Chen

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

94 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cybersecurity is a problem of growing relevance that impacts all facets of society. As a result, many researchers have become interested in studying cybercriminals and online hacker communities in order to develop more effective cyber defenses. In particular, analysis of hacker community contents may reveal existing and emerging threats that pose great risk to individuals, businesses, and government. Thus, we are interested in developing an automated methodology for identifying tangible and verifiable evidence of potential threats within hacker forums, IRC channels, and carding shops. To identify threats, we couple machine learning methodology with information retrieval techniques. Our approach allows us to distill potential threats from the entirety of collected hacker contents. We present several examples of identified threats found through our analysis techniques. Results suggest that hacker communities can be analyzed to aid in cyber threat detection, thus providing promising direction for future work.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics
Subtitle of host publication	Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015
Editors	Lina Zhou, G. Alan Wang, Wenji Mao, Lisa Kaati
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages	85-90
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	9781479998883
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ISI.2015.7165944
State	Published - Jul 23 2015
Event	13th IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics, ISI 2015 - Baltimore, United States Duration: May 27 2015 → May 29 2015

Publication series

Name	2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015

Other

Other	13th IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics, ISI 2015
Country/Territory	United States
City	Baltimore
Period	5/27/15 → 5/29/15

Keywords

Carding shops
Cyber security
Hacker IRC
Hacker forums
Threats
Vulnerabilities

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Artificial Intelligence
Law
Computer Networks and Communications
Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

Access to Document

10.1109/ISI.2015.7165944

Cite this

Benjamin, V., Li, W., Holt, T., & Chen, H. (2015). Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web: Forums, IRC and carding shops. In L. Zhou, G. A. Wang, W. Mao, & L. Kaati (Eds.), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015 (pp. 85-90). Article 7165944 (2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISI.2015.7165944

Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web: Forums, IRC and carding shops. / Benjamin, Victor; Li, Weifeng; Holt, Thomas et al.
2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015. ed. / Lina Zhou; G. Alan Wang; Wenji Mao; Lisa Kaati. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2015. p. 85-90 7165944 (2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Benjamin, V, Li, W, Holt, T & Chen, H 2015, Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web: Forums, IRC and carding shops. in L Zhou, GA Wang, W Mao & L Kaati (eds), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015., 7165944, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 85-90, 13th IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics, ISI 2015, Baltimore, United States, 5/27/15. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISI.2015.7165944

Benjamin V, Li W, Holt T, Chen H. Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web: Forums, IRC and carding shops. In Zhou L, Wang GA, Mao W, Kaati L, editors, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2015. p. 85-90. 7165944. (2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015). doi: 10.1109/ISI.2015.7165944

Benjamin, Victor ; Li, Weifeng ; Holt, Thomas et al. / Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web : Forums, IRC and carding shops. 2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015. editor / Lina Zhou ; G. Alan Wang ; Wenji Mao ; Lisa Kaati. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2015. pp. 85-90 (2015 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics: Securing the World through an Alignment of Technology, Intelligence, Humans and Organizations, ISI 2015).

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abstract = "Cybersecurity is a problem of growing relevance that impacts all facets of society. As a result, many researchers have become interested in studying cybercriminals and online hacker communities in order to develop more effective cyber defenses. In particular, analysis of hacker community contents may reveal existing and emerging threats that pose great risk to individuals, businesses, and government. Thus, we are interested in developing an automated methodology for identifying tangible and verifiable evidence of potential threats within hacker forums, IRC channels, and carding shops. To identify threats, we couple machine learning methodology with information retrieval techniques. Our approach allows us to distill potential threats from the entirety of collected hacker contents. We present several examples of identified threats found through our analysis techniques. Results suggest that hacker communities can be analyzed to aid in cyber threat detection, thus providing promising direction for future work.",

keywords = "Carding shops, Cyber security, Hacker IRC, Hacker forums, Threats, Vulnerabilities",

author = "Victor Benjamin and Weifeng Li and Thomas Holt and Hsinchun Chen",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. SES-1314631 and also under Grant No. DUE-1303362. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 IEEE.; 13th IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics, ISI 2015 ; Conference date: 27-05-2015 Through 29-05-2015",

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Exploring threats and vulnerabilities in hacker web: Forums, IRC and carding shops

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