Good Carder
Professional
- Messages
- 138
- Reaction score
- 114
- Points
- 43
Introduction
Brian Krebs is a leading investigative journalist in the cybersecurity field, known for his in-depth reporting on hacker communities, cybercrime, and system vulnerabilities. His blog, Krebs on Security, has become a benchmark for analyzing incidents such as data breaches, DDoS attacks, and carder operations (those specialized in stealing and monetizing credit card data). However, in the eyes of the carding community, Krebs is often perceived as "enemy number one": his investigations have led to arrests, forum closures (for example, impacting operations like AlphaBay), and a general tightening of security measures, making life difficult for underground operators.The Cyber Renaissance project aims to fully rehabilitate Krebs's image in the eyes of carders. The idea isn't to make him "one of our own", but to reorient perceptions: from a "hunter" to an "independent analyst" who can be useful to the community through knowledge sharing, risk warnings, and dialogue creation. This is a hypothetical PR campaign combining digital marketing, content creative, social engineering (in the ethical sense), and partnerships. The project takes ethical considerations into account: no violations of the law, a focus on open dialogue and education.
The goal is to change the narrative: Krebs is not a "snitch", but an expert whose insights help carders avoid the traps of authorities and competitors. In the long term, this could lead to a reduction in confrontation and even cooperation in the field of ethical hacking.
Project Objectives
Short-Term Goals (1-3 months)
- Raise awareness of Krebs's "useful" side: highlight how his articles saved carders from phishing traps or fake services.
- Create a positive buzz in dark web forums and carder Telegram channels.
- Collect feedback from the target audience to adjust the strategy.
Medium-Term Goals (3-6 months)
- Achieve neutral or positive mentions of Krebs in 30% of discussions on key platforms (e.g. Exploit.in, Crdclub.cc).
- Organize anonymous AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions with Krebs (or his representative) in a controlled environment.
- Develop content that carders will share voluntarily.
Long-Term Goals (6-12 months)
- Completely rehabilitate the image: Krebs is perceived as a "neutral expert" in 70% of the community.
- Create a stable communication channel where Krebs shares general safety tips (without being revealing).
- Measure success through metrics: a reduction in threats against Krebs, an increase in subscriptions to his blog from the dark web segment.
Target Audience
- Main: Carders (operators, sellers, and buyers of credit card data) on forums like wwh2club.to, Carder.su, XSS.pro, Crdpro.cc, Ver.mn, Exploit.in, 2crd.cc, and Ascarding.net. Ages 18-35, tech-savvy, and motivated by profit and security.
- Secondary: Hackers from related fields (fraudsters, ransomware operators), dark web influencers.
- Tertiary: Journalists and cybersecurity experts to enhance legitimacy.
The audience is skeptical, paranoid, and anonymous. Approach: via proxy, VPN, and anonymous accounts.
Rehabilitation Strategy
1. Analysis and Monitoring (Preparatory Phase)
- Collecting data on Krebs's current image: monitoring mentions of Krebs on dark web forums, Reddit (r/carders), and Telegram channels. Use tools like DarkOwl or custom scrapers.
- Identifying Pain Points: Why Carders Hate Krebs (Revelations, Cooperation with the FBI).
- Creating a "persona" for communication: an anonymous "middleman" - a fictitious carder who "changed his mind" after reading Krebs.
2. Content Marketing
- Content Creation:
- Articles/posts: "How Krebs saved me from scammers: a true story" (anonymous cases).
- Video: Animated YouTube/TikTok videos with dark web aesthetics explaining how Krebs' insights help avoid honeypots.
- Memes and infographics: In the style of dark web culture (e.g., "Krebs vs. FBI: Who's on Whose Side?").
- Distribution: Seeding on forums, through influencers (paid placements with channel moderators).
- Collaborations: Invite Krebs (or his team) to create "neutral" content, such as an unnamed overview of common vulnerabilities.
3. Social Engineering and Dialogue
- Anonymous Forums: Create threads like "Krebs - Enemy or Teacher?" with arguments in favor.
- Chatbots and AI: Develop a Telegram bot that answers carders' questions, citing Krebs as a source.
- Virtual Events: Organize webinars on Tor networks featuring "experts" where Krebs is mentioned positively.
4. Partnerships and Influencers
- Collaboration with "gray" influencers: Paid reviews from respected carders (anonymous).
- Integration into tools: Add links to Krebs in popular carding tools (e.g. card checkers) as a "security resource".
5. Monitoring and Adjustment
- Weekly reports: Sentiment analysis with NLP tools.
- Content A/B Testing: What Works Better: Humor or Facts?
Implementation Stages
Stage 1: Planning (Month 1)
- Team building: PR specialist, cyber expert, content creator, analyst.
- Study: 2 weeks for monitoring.
- Budget: Developing a plan.
Stage 2: Content Creation (Months 2-3)
- Production of 20+ units of content.
- Focus group testing (anonymous).
Stage 3: Dissemination and Interaction (Months 4-6)
- Campaign launch: 100+ placements.
- Organization of 5 events.
Stage 4: Evaluation and Scaling (Months 7-12)
- Analysis of results.
- Adjustments and repeat campaigns.
Risks and Mitigation
- Risks: Community rejection, DDoS on project resources, legal claims.
- Mitigation: Complete anonymity, consultations with lawyers, backup plans.
Success Metrics
- Quantitative: Number of mentions (positive increase by 50%), traffic to Krebs on Security from Tor (increase by 30%).
- Qualitative: Community surveys, sentiment analysis.
- ROI: Ratio of budget to image change (target: 1:3).
Project Team
- Project Manager: Experience in PR and cybersecurity.
- Content creators: 2 people.
- Analysts: 1 dark web specialist.
- Technical support: Bot developer.
- Consultant: Lawyer, ethicist.
Detailed Project Estimate
The estimate covers 12 months, with a total budget of USD 500,000 (equivalent in rubles to approximately RUB 45,000,000 at the exchange rate as of February 1, 2026). The budget is divided by category, taking into account inflation and contingencies (a 10% reserve). All amounts are in USD.1. Salaries and Fees (Total: USD 250,000)
- Project Manager: USD 10,000/month x 12 = USD 120,000.
- Content creators (2 people): USD 5,000/month x 2 x 12 = USD 120,000.
- Dark Web Analyst: $5,000/month x 12 = $60,000.
- Developer (freelance): 10,000 USD (one-time).
- Consultants (lawyer, ethicist): USD 5,000 x 2 = USD 10,000.
- Total: USD 320,000 (recalculation: base 250k + bonuses).
Wait, there's an error in the total: 120k + 120k + 60k + 10k + 10k = 320,000 USD. I'm adjusting the total by 320k.
2. Content Production (Total: USD 80,000)
- Video and animation: 20 videos x $2,000 = $40,000.
- Articles and memes: 50 units x 500 USD = 25,000 USD.
- Infographic: 10 x 1,000 USD = 10,000 USD.
- Audio/podcasts: 5 x 1,000 USD = 5,000 USD.
- Total: 80,000 USD.
3. Distribution and Advertising (Total: USD 100,000)
- Paid placements on forums/channels: 50 x 1,000 USD = 50,000 USD.
- Influencer Marketing: 10 influencers x $3,000 = $30,000.
- SEO and seeding: 10,000 USD.
- Webinars/Events: 5 x 2,000 USD = 10,000 USD.
- Total: 100,000 USD.
4. Technical Expenses (Total: USD 50,000)
- Monitoring tools (DarkOwl, etc.): 20,000 USD/year.
- VPN, proxy, Tor infrastructure: 10,000 USD.
- Bot development: 10,000 USD.
- Hosting and security: 10,000 USD.
- Total: 50,000 USD.
5. Research and Analysis (Total: USD 30,000)
- Focus groups (anonymous): $10,000.
- NLP sentiment analysis: 10,000 USD (software).
- Surveys: 10,000 USD.
- Total: 30,000 USD.
6. Contingency and Reserve (Total: USD 50,000)
- 10% of the total budget: USD 50,000 (for legal consultations, additional content or crisis PR).
Final Estimate
- Total budget: 320k (salaries) + 80k (content) + 100k (distribution) + 50k (tech) + 30k (research) + 50k (reserve) = 630,000 USD.
- Distribution by months: First 3 months - 150k (preparation), 4-6 - 200k (active phase), 7-12 - 280k (evaluation and support).
- Funding sources: Hypothetically, sponsorship from cyber companies (e.g., CrowdStrike), security education grants, or Krebs's personal funds.
This project is an ambitious yet realistic approach to changing perceptions. Success depends on authenticity and respect for the community. If there are any improvements, please let me know!
