crime-as-a-service

n.

Web-based software that enables or enhances online criminal activity. Also: cybercrime-as-a-service, crimeware-as-a-service, CaaS.

Example Citations:

A worrying new phrase has entered the lexicon of cybercrime — Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS)...

CaaS has become a well-oiled machine, built on a wide network of players that fulfill specific functions.

—Vishak Raman, " Cybercrime-as-a-Service — A Very Modern Business: http://www.pcquest.com/pcquest/analysis/175920/cybercrime-service-a-very-modern-business," PCQuest, March 7, 2013

New versions of the ZeuS botnet code costs $3,000; Butterfly botnet code costs $900. Simplified botnets used in the rental and crime-as-a-service model are cheaper, such as Bredolab, starting at $50.

—Ellen Messmer, " World of botnet cybercrime paying pretty well these days: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/121912-botnet-cybercrime-265258.html," Network World, December 19, 2012

Earliest Citation:

Finjan says Crimeware-as-a-Service (CaaS) is becoming an increasing problem and the ability of law enforcement to track malicious hackers will become increasingly hampered.

—Larry Dignan, " The next big thing? Crimeware-as-a-service: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/the-next-big-thing-crimeware-as-a-service/1012," ZDNet, April 7, 2008

Notes:

The something-as-a-service idea comes from cloud computing, where online applications (such as DropBox and Google Docs) are called software-as-a-service (SaaS) and online computing power (such as Amazon EC2) is called infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS).

Related Words:

419 scam

bot herder

click laundering

crimeware

e-fence

identity theft

phishing

ransomware

scalper-bot

vishing

Categories:

Hacking and Hackers

Internet

Privacy and Security

Crime