It’s not every day that you discover a new Russian hacking group complete with a song and dance routine (performed live), a sleek user interface (with dark mode!) and a clearly thought-out business model. But that is exactly what our security research team discovered with “AlphaLock,” a “pentesting training organization” that trains hackers and then monetizes their services through a dedicated affiliate program.
We originally discovered their group through a public Telegram channel
that has since become private. This post will serve as a detailed investigation and description of one of the most brazen, strange, and best marketed cybercrime groups to appear in 2023.
AlphaLock’s Business Model and Launch
One of the most poignant cybercrime trends in 2023 has been the diversification and role specialization that has occurred among criminals. There are detailed and complex supply chains that exist, creating economies of scale for cybercriminals.
AlphaLock serves as one of the first and most interesting examples we’ve seen of a threat group trying to create their own end-to-end pipeline to generate revenue.
Their business model seems to be split into two parts: Bazooka Code Pentest Training and the ALPentest Hacking Marketplace.
