With a deep understanding of the complexities of the Dark Web, Harper curates informative and thought-provoking content for our readers. Her knowledge of the hidden corners of the internet and cybersecurity helps shed light on the often mysterious and illicit activities that take place in this realm.
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Recent rumors suggest that the renowned hacker group ShinyHunters is set to revive the previously closed BreachForums forum, signaling a potential resurgence.
According to VX-Underground, a malware storage and distribution resource, the undisclosed source revealed that BreachForums will resume its operations later this month, reaching its 200,000+ subscribers.
ShinyHunters: Notorious Hacker Group’s Data Breach Operations and High-Stakes Arrest
ShinyHunters, a notorious hacker group, specializes in pilfering and selling user data from various online platforms. Since April 2020, they have gained notoriety for their involvement in prominent data breaches such as Tokopedia, Wattpad, Pixlr, Bonobos, BigBasket, Mathway, Unacademy, MeetMindful, and even Microsoft’s GitHub account.
The group’s modus operandi involves targeting developer sites and repositories to pilfer credentials and API keys, granting them access to cloud services utilized by targeted companies. Cybercriminals employ these API keys to breach corporate databases, either selling the stolen data or disseminating it for free on hacker forums.
One of the members of ShinyHunters, a 21-year-old French student, was arrested by the FBI in January 2021 and extradited to the USA. He faced 14 cybercrime charges, which could potentially result in a maximum prison sentence of 116 years. His arrest was linked to the data leak of over 200 million users’ information.
Successor to RaidForums, Closure, and the Emergence of Exposed
BreachForums (previously known as Breached) served as an active cybercrime forum from 2022 to 2023. It emerged as a successor to the shut-down RaidForums and provided a platform for discussions on hacking topics, as well as the distribution of data leaks, pornography, hacking tools, and related services.
Following the closure of RaidForums, users flocked to the newly established BreachForums (also known as Breached). Unfortunately, it faced closure in March 2023 after the founder and owner, known as Pompous, was apprehended by the FBI. Additionally, concerns arose among another administrator regarding potential law enforcement access to their servers, prompting the decision to shut down the forum.
In May, a forum named Exposed was launched to fill the void left by the closure of BreachForums. Its rapid rise in popularity was fueled by the absence of significant competition in this niche. Notably, one of the administrators, nicknamed “Impotent,” leaked a database containing information about RaidForums members, providing valuable data to cybercriminals, researchers, and potentially law enforcement agencies.