Dark web forums are online communities where cybercriminals buy and sell stolen data, malware, exploits, and network access. Some operate as hidden Tor services while others sit on the clear web behind invitation or vetting requirements. They function as the marketplaces and reputation systems of the cybercrime economy.
Infostealer logs and the access they enable are core commodities on these forums. Monitoring forum activity gives defenders early warning when their data or access is being advertised, sometimes before any intrusion occurs.
See what forum exposure looks like in 100,000 hackers exposed from top cybercrime forums and how operators slip up in a threat actor infecting their own machine.