Certification in cybersecurity is often required for employment in the cybersecurity sector, and common examples of such certifications include those offered by CompTIA, ISC2, Cisco, Microsoft, or AWS. However, obtaining one is not a simple task. In order to pass the challenging test, you will need to complete the necessary courses and put in a significant amount of study time.
On the other hand, according to reports from cybersixgill, anyone may locate unlawful shortcuts to certification on the dark web. Fake certifications, cheating services for examinations, and unauthorized access to course materials are some of the choices. Underground forums and specialized Telegram groups are where threat actors market these services to customers.
Exams are often administered at testing facilities that are monitored by the vendors themselves, and applicants are observed by proctors while they are being filmed by surveillance cameras. On the other hand, some suppliers of exams also give the option of taking the exam remotely. Using this method, a candidate may take the exam in the comfort of their own home while being monitored by a proctor via webcam.
Some actors claim to be able to circumvent these security measures and offer to provide answers to the questions on the certification exams for companies like CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, Google, and AWS. These actors claim to have the ability to do so. They claim that they are able to do remote testing while acting as a “man in the middle.” For instance, in a post advertising a cheating service, an actor explains that during examinations, test-takers’ audio and video streams are directed to them so that they may listen to and watch examinations in real-time, therefore avoiding the presence of a proctor.
On the dark web, users will also provide courses that have been stolen from a variety of suppliers. In 2022, there was roughly a 73% rise in the number of leaked courses that were marketed on underground marketplaces. This was an increase from 2021, when there was an approximately a 5% increase.
Depending on the vendor, the cost of authentic cybersecurity training courses may vary anywhere from zero dollars to more than five thousand dollars. On the black web, however, you may find the identical courses being sold at much reduced costs. While some threat actors distribute the courses as free downloads, others make a profit out of selling them.
As was previously said, the black market for these services looks to be on the smaller side. Despite this, companies that give exams and training should implement safeguards to keep an eye out for cheating services, phony credentials, and stolen classes.
Information security specialist, currently working as risk infrastructure specialist & investigator.
15 years of experience in risk and control process, security audit support, business continuity design and support, workgroup management and information security standards.