The Rise of Initial Access Brokers

ReliaQuest analyzed more than 500 2020 listings from cybercriminal forums to profile Initial Access Brokers (IABs) — actors who find and sell network access to ransomware operators — reporting common access types (e.g., VPN), average prices, industry and geographic trends (U.S. heavily targeted, technology sector highest value), and recommended mitigation steps including dark-web monitoring and access-type specific defenses.