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Stanford Researcher Finds Little To Love In Would-Be Hacker Marketplace

Posted by timothy on from the it-is-what-it-is dept.

An anonymous reader writes: What if there were an Uber for hackers? Well, there is. It's called Hacker's List, and it made the front page of the New York Times this year. Anyone can post or bid on an 'ethical' hacking project. According to new Stanford research, however, the site is a wreck. 'Most requests are unsophisticated and unlawful, very few deals are actually struck, and most completed projects appear to be criminal.' And it gets worse. 'Many users on Hacker's List are trivially identifiable,' with an email address or Facebook account. The research dataset includes thousands of individuals soliciting federal crimes.

8 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Shady stuff on the intertubes? I'm shocked I tell 'ya.

    There's really only one question: is the owner aware that his site is being used for illegal stuff, or has be willfully made sure he isn't aware.

    Because TFA sure as hell makes it sound like it's pretty blatantly being used for illegal stuff ... and then it's just a matter to which the owner is consciously facilitating this.

    So, which is it ... clueless that your site is being used to break the law? Or intentionally not noticing that your site is being used to break the law?

    Hacker's List "is intended for legal and ethical use." And, according to the owner, "[n]o one is going to complete an illegal project through my website."

    How about "i need hack account facebook of my girlfriend," completed for $90 in January? Or "need access to a g mail account," finished for $350 in February? Or "I need [a database hacked] because I need it for doxing," done for $350 last month?

    That does not sound like a site which is in any way policing itself to be a legal operation.

    Not even a little.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:Hmmm ... by pr0fessor · · Score: 2

      I'm trying to think of some kind of legal hacking that I would want a pseudo anonymous third party to do for me. When it comes to legal hacking I can't think of much that a private individual would need and an enterprises would do so internally or hire a reputable security company before they would use a pseudo anonymous individual.

  2. Who does this? A. Millennials! by jtara · · Score: 2

    Who openly posts solicitations to commit a Federal crime, while positively identifying themselves through social media?

    The same people that Liberty Mutual doesn't want going around driving three-quarters of a car, that's who!

    What will those clueless Millennials do next?

    1. Re:Who does this? A. Millennials! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Probably decide which home you should end up in.

  3. Re:In other news by timholman · · Score: 3, Informative

    Grass is green, sky is blue, water is wet. More at 11.

    I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL 11! TELL ME OTHER OBVIOUS THINGS NOW!

    Your dog loves you. But that cute girl down the street? She just wants to be friends.

  4. "Hacker"... by antiperimetaparalogo · · Score: 2

    'Most requests are [...] unlawful [...]' And it gets worse. 'Many users on Hacker's List are trivially identifiable,' [...] The research dataset includes thousands of individuals soliciting federal crimes.

    "worse"? You mean "better"!

    --
    Antisthenes: "Wisdom begins by examining the words/names." - excuse my English, i am (slightly...) better with my Greek!
  5. the real underground by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    is laughing at this

  6. Re:In other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Her dog is in to you. But that cute girl down the street? She won't let you have sex with her dog.