Hacker Behind Blackhole Exploit Kit Arrested

Russian authorities claim to have captured the hacker responsible for creating the Black hole exploit kit.

The exploit kit was allegedly created by a man who goes by the name Paunch. The hacking kit gained worldwide attention because of its ability to target web users through browser plug-ins.

The arrest was first confirmed by the European Cybercrime Center and then re-confirmed by several other agencies. The arrested man’s full name has not been revealed at this time.

The arrest of Paunch and his partner came about after European agents worked together with various agencies throughout the United States.

The blackhole exploit kit allowed cybercriminals to pay a fee to tap into the kit’s codes. Paying criminals could then perform various illicit activities, such as installing malware. Users could purchase specific time period usage licenses’ for the software. Time stamping for kit use ranged from three months to an entire year.

The Blackhole Exploit Kit was regularly updated and targeted users of Java and Adobe software, among other applications.

The Blackhole Exploit Kit is now officially shut down and a second similar program was also recently taken offline for unknown reasons.

The Blackhole Exploit Kit was ranked among the most widely distributed and easiest to use hacker kits on the black market. If the device was actually taken off the market it would be a big win for cyber crime experts.

Other programs, such as Dark Comet, are still readily available and offer easy and free to setup hacking platforms for beginners.

Do you think cybercrimes experts can stay one step ahead of hackers or will the battle for secure space always be a hard fought fight?