From sophisticated disinformation services to stolen digital identities, smart home vulnerabilities and AI-driven social engineering – these are the main topics currently being discussed in darknet forums
Every December, NordVPN experts predict cybersecurity risks for the coming year. This year, they teamed up with NordStellar Analytics, whose experts analyzed the largest darknet forums to identify the most discussed trending topics. "Although last year's predictions remain relevant, the popularity of various hacking courses and DIY cybercrime kits has noticeably increased. Mass leaks of personal media and customer data continue to circulate in these forums," says Adrianus Warmenhoven, cybersecurity expert at NordVPN. "This year, we went even further with our analysis and looked beyond the most discussed topics to identify five new threats and vulnerabilities that are most likely to have great relevance in 2025," adds Warmenhoven.
Account hijacking will continue to increase
The most discussed topics on the dark web, with more than 135.000 comments, focus on so-called "combo lists" - databases filled with combinations of usernames, passwords and other personal data from various security breaches. Another widely discussed topic, with almost 26.000 comments, focuses directly on account takeovers, where this metadata is exploited for unauthorized access.
Since users often reuse passwords across multiple websites, hackers can use the login credentials not only to commit fraud and misuse accounts for malicious purposes (e.g., conducting fraudulent transactions), but also significantly increase the risk of identity theft. Warmenhoven points out this danger, stressing that these attacks will remain very popular and extremely effective among cybercriminals as long as passwords are reused across multiple accounts. He even predicts that this activity will increase in 2025 as criminals continue to obtain more login credentials through new data breaches.
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Read the best news from B2B CYBER SECURITY once a monthSecurity gaps in the smart home sector
Another highly commented thread on the dark web forum, which received nearly 21.000 comments, focuses on security vulnerabilities in various smart home systems and applications, including precise instructions on how to exploit those vulnerabilities. The 2024 IoT Security Landscape report analyzed about 50 million IoT devices and uncovered over 9,1 billion security-related events worldwide. On average, home networks are hit by attacks on connected devices more than ten times a day, and that number is expected to rise in 2025. "Hackers are increasingly targeting a wide variety of smart home devices, from security systems to everyday appliances such as smart refrigerators and vacuum cleaners. While some devices can serve as a gateway for network attacks, others, such as home video surveillance systems, can be hacked directly, potentially compromising users' privacy," says Warmenhoven.
Identity theft remains high
Posts about scams are among the top 10 most commented topics on the dark web, where users share tips, tools, and strategies for successful scam attempts. Credit card and insurance fraud are frequently discussed, but identity theft remains the focus of hackers' interest due to its high profitability. As hackers continue to exploit personal information to infiltrate bank accounts, steal credit card details, and commit tax fraud, expect identity theft methods to become more sophisticated.
"Identity theft is evolving, so we can expect new forms of it to emerge over the next year," says Warmenhoven. "One of these is synthetic identity fraud, which fuses real and fake data. Deepfake technologies are often used to increase effectiveness. Another evolving method is reverse identity theft, where people use another person's identity not for financial gain, but to impersonate that person. Criminals use this method to secure a job, access healthcare, or avoid legal consequences. These strategies focus on long-term impersonation of a person, rather than immediate financial gain."
Disinformation as a Service
According to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024, AI-generated misinformation is ranked as the second biggest global risk (53%) over the next two years, with extreme weather events ranking first and cyberattacks fifth. The dark web is full of methods aimed at spreading disinformation, including the use of thousands of fake social media accounts and numerous spam emails spreading propaganda. In addition, disinformation bot farms are being developed to spread misinformation on a large scale.
"If we look at current trends on the dark web, it is safe to assume that disinformation as a service will become a significant threat in the next year," warns Warmenhoven. "This solution offered by cybercriminals takes advantage of the creation and dissemination of false information. This highly customizable and adaptable service allows for precise targeting of specific demographic profiles and the manipulation of social media algorithms to maximize impact."
AI-driven social engineering
AI-driven social engineering is expected to become increasingly sophisticated. Although this topic is not as widely discussed, forums are filled with detailed tips, tutorials, and real-world examples of how to benefit from this technique. A significant new trend is the use of AI to detect vulnerabilities, increasing the complexity of tools used to manipulate human behavior to gain information and create effective phishing emails. On top of that, employees make more mistakes and companies are less secure due to AI-based social engineering, as the Business Digital Index reveals.
"We are currently witnessing the emergence of a threat known as corporate manipulation and exploitation, where malicious actors seek to trick company representatives into providing refunds or replacements using a variety of justifications. These forums provide precise methods of gathering information about the company in order to effectively implement the schemes, targeting large companies such as Amazon, ASOS and Walmart," explains Warmenhoven.
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