The silent infiltration: darknet analysis of corporate data exposures in East Asia

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Presented at VB2025 Berlin by

Eric Hsieh

Yuki Hung

Boik Su

This presentation offers a timely and data-driven analysis of significant darknet exposures targeting companies across East Asia throughout 2025. Our research delves into various sectors, including finance, traditional industries, and critical infrastructure, revealing a concerning trend: a substantial majority of surveyed organizations in the region have experienced breaches exposing sensitive corporate data. A key finding highlights the disproportionately impactful role of initial access brokers (IABs) as the primary entry point into corporate networks. Unlike traditional methods often reliant on sophisticated phishing campaigns, which require significant effort and persistence, IABs leverage compromised credentials, allowing attackers to simply "log in", rather than "hack in", and gain direct access to intranets. This observation underscores the often-overlooked vulnerability posed by credential theft and the ease with which IABs can lead to catastrophe.