How Cybercriminals Buy Access: Logins, Cookies, And Backdoors
Varonis, Thursday, February 19th, 2026
Explore how cybercriminals buy VPN credentials, infostealer logs, breach databases, and web shells to access networks without writing a single exploit.
There's a phrase security professionals have repeated for years: "Attackers don't break in, they log in." A decade ago, it was a great way to keep phishing top of mind. Today, it reads less like a warning and more like a business model, one that's scaled into a shadow cybercrime economy.
Underground networks that once catered to hobbyists have matured into full-service cybercrime marketplaces, complete with reputation systems, escrow, and specialist vendors.