Darkode, a popular hackers forum referred to as a 'cyber hornets nest' by law enforcement, has been shutdown. The closure of the site comes as a result of ongoing collaborative investigations by authorities in twenty nations, including the EFCC in Nigeria.
Assistant Attorney General Caldwell of the US Department of Justice stated “This operation is a great example of what international law enforcement can accomplish when we work closely together to neutralize a global cybercrime marketplace.” Users had access to "malware, botnets, stolen personally identifiable information, credit card information, hacked server credentials, and other pieces of data and software that facilitated complex cyber crimes all over the globe".
The website is said to have been unique in that it was one of only a few prominent English-language forums in an arena dominated by Russian-language sites. As an English-language forum Darkode had greater appeal as a truly international arena. This is reflected in the eventual take-down of the site which involved law enforcement in twenty nations spread over 6 continents.
The Darkode forum, had between 250-300 members at the time of closure. Prospective members had to be sponsored by an existing member and were heavily vetted prior to being invited to join the forum. Successful candidates were expected to post an online resume of their criminal exploits - listing skills, successes and the manner in which they might enrich the forum. Gaining access to the forum would allow a member to engage in the trade of advanced cyber tools for criminal activity as well as a wealth of ideas and advice.
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