The age of sophisticated hacking of governmental agencies and giant corporations might never be over, but hacking isn’t exclusively sophisticated anymore. Nowadays hackers perform very mundane tasks, like retrieving lost passwords, testing online security and ‘cleaning up’ unwanted pictures and posts. The market for this type of hacking is still young and somewhat chaotic, but companies that offer such services are on the rise, and they are legit. Online hack-for-hire has become so popular that even a review website has appeared, operated by someone under the pseudonym ‘Ericm’. It’s actually pretty helpful if you’re looking to hire. So far there are two companies leading in this field, both relatively reliable, but with a different approach.
The Fascinating Newbie, Hacker’s List
In the late 00’s, sites that help connect businesses and freelancers have evolved into something new. Platforms, where anyone could post a certain task, business-related or otherwise, and anyone could complete it for an agreed fee, appeared all over the internet. All that such websites require is registering, and then a small background check. Most specialize in home-related tasks, like organizing, cleaning or repairs, deliveries and personal assistance. The founders of Hacker’s List simply applied the already popular online Escrow system to a specific market.
The website launched last November, and by now has attracted quite a lot of attention in the media. This is due to it being so reminiscently craigslist-esque, and, of course, to the controversial nature of the provided services. Simplicity and accessibility are probably the most fascinating things about it. According to hackerforhirereview.com, “someone has finally gotten wise to how hiring a hacker should work.” Hacker’s List does not employ hackers, unlike similar companies, which minimizes the sites liability while offering a wider range of specialists and services.
That being said, the websites anonymity, while intended for promoting discretion, poses certain dangers. Neither the hackers nor employers know who they’re actually dealing with and what hidden agenda the other party might have. And there’s no way of finding out – what happens with any provided or obtained information is totally up to the website’s users.
The FAQ section clearly states that “HL is intended for legal and ethical use,” and employers and hackers alike are urged to report any projects that look criminal in some way. But, although the company attempts to legally protect itself and its users with this ‘good faith’ policy, the founders have preferred to remain anonymous, and the site is registered in New Zealand.
What’s the Competition?
The new resource’s only serious competition would be a company called NeighborHood Hacker. Their website offers services primarily in protecting the customer’s own online privacy as opposed to invading others’, but research by hackerforhirereview.com reveals that the company’s employees are willing to perform more questionable tasks, like hacking a Facebook account. Neighborhood Hacker apparently has a customer services division as well as an IT team, which comfortably adds to the notion of a legitimate business. Due to the more corporate nature of this enterprise, it works slower and costs more, but offers more guarantees in terms of legality and discretion.
The internet is flooded with offers to hack almost anything, from company databases to social media accounts. Most of these websites are scams, especially the ones that exclusively offer breaking into Facebook accounts and e-mails – these questionable ventures are, unfortunately, on high demand, and thus attract customers. But such violations of privacy are almost always illegal, and no respectable business would openly advertise participating in illegal activities. It would be strongly advised to refrain from breaking the law (and someone’s trust), but if you absolutely must, at least try not to get ripped off in the process.
