“I’d Like to Pay with Your Visa Card” An Illustration of Illicit Online Trading Activity in the Underground Economy Technical Report

With the growing use and financial importance of the Internet, cyber criminals increasingly perceive computer systems, network architectures, and databases storing transactionand personal-related data as assets and profitable targets. As illicit activities have become more organized and monetary-driven, a digital underground economy for hacking-related goods and services has evolved. In this paper, we outline the infrastructure and modes of operation of said economy with the help of real world samples captured in a communication channel on an IRC network. Thereby, we are able to gain a better understanding of the dynamics and interactions on this market.