Dive Brief:

• Skype is by far the most preferred messenger for cybercriminals among seven language groups, according to new report from Flashpoint. In English speaking communities, Skype made up 80% of the mentions, followed by AIM and ICQ.

• The report also found cybercriminals prefer messaging services that are "simple, have a clean graphical user interface, are intuitive to use, and are not 'buggy.'" To create the report, authors relied on mentions of social media platforms in the underground communities monitored by Flashpoint.

• The report also found that Russian-speaking cybercriminals are generally considered most innovative and sophisticated in the cybercrime ecosystem.

Dive Insight:

Cybercriminals, they’re just like us. Cybercriminals want to collaborate, share information, and even help each other learn. Enterprise-level messaging tools are perfect for that.

To continue to operate, cybercriminals have to maintain communication with their peers while avoiding detection. New tools on the market may not be as appealing as tools readily available that cybercriminals know they can rely on. 

Microsoft’s bundling of Skype with its devices has likely played a large role in the application’s popularity, but either way, the study made it clear that cybercriminal groups tend to share a strong desire to communicate.