Symantec are due to release a report today on the Internet Underground Economy which includes claims that a keystroke logger can be purchased at a measly £15 ($23USD), a phishing scam can be hosted for £6 ($10USD) or if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, a botnet at your disposal will cost you £149 ($225USD).

This information comes from Symantec researchers who spent 12 months observing chat among cybercriminals on IRC channels and forums on the Internet between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. They were able to collect an impressive amount of malicious code, and also found detailed information on the exchange of highly valued financial information.

Alarmingly, the research found that bank account details were the most commonly advertised information for sale with prices ranging from £6 to £665 depending on the quality of the account, i.e. its location and balance.

Credit card information was the most requested category making-up for over 30 percent of all of the types of goods and services sold.

The report estimates that totalling the income from selling this data coupled with the clearing-out of victims’ accounts and credit cards, the potential worth of this financial information for sale would be over £4.6 billion.

Source: cnet

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