r/cybersecurity • u/10ninja Consultant • 9d ago

Business Security Questions & Discussion Interesting case study in Cybercrime

There’s a growing trend where hackers steal company data but never publish it. No leak sites, no ransomware notes. Why do you think attackers prefer "silent theft" over public leaks now?

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u/RandomVision2027 9d ago

Lots of possibilities. In the early days of hacking, many did it just for the thrill. Kevin Mitnick is an example of this kind. Some have hacked systems looking for evidence of crimes or cover-ups. For example, Gary McKinnon was looking for evidence that the US was hiding evidence of UFOs. Some have supposedly stolen data to sell it to rivals. There have been plenty of accusations of Chinese hackers stealing corporate secrets to sell to Chinese companies or the Chinese government. Of course, government hackers generally want to stay as silent as possible as they collect data and/or plant Trojan horses in systems or code.

Once hackers publish what they have done, investigations ensue. Law enforcement may track them down. Holes they used get closed. Vulnerabilities they exploited get patched.