- Kaspersky report says young tech workers are turning to the dark web in search of jobs
- The median age of applicants is only 24 years old
- Dark Web Workers Can Earn Over $5,000/Month
As the global job market deteriorates due to layoffs, harsh recruitment screenings and new AI programs designed to eliminate part of the workforce, new research claims that graduates and young people are increasingly turning to the dark web to find jobs.
Unfortunately for them, Kaspersky’s research reveals that the job market on the dark web is not as straightforward as one might imagine, as applicants on the dark web outnumber job postings 55-45 times – and 69% of applicants are open to any field – making fierce competition the order of the day.
Worryingly, the median age of job seekers is only 24, suggesting that qualified young graduates are unable to find legitimate employment and are being forced to switch allegiances and use their skills against the cybersecurity sector.
A lucrative change
Kaspersky’s report reveals that those who migrate to the dark web can be well rewarded, as reverse engineers can earn an average of $5,000 per month, followed closely by penetration testers at $4,000/month and developers at $2,000/month.
“The parallel labor market is no longer peripheral; it absorbs the unemployed, minors and overqualified,” comments Alexandra Fedosimova, digital footprint analyst at Kaspersky.
“Many arrive thinking that the dark web and the legal market are fundamentally similar, rewarding proven skills rather than degrees, with the dark web even offering certain benefits, such as offers landing within 48 hours and no HR interviews. However, few people realize that working on the dark web can lead to prison. »
The tech industry is at a standstill as AI eliminates jobs – junior positions have been cut in half in recent years – and given the state of the rest of the job market, it’s no surprise that some of these highly skilled workers are turning to less legitimate means to survive.
Organizations save money in the short term by eliminating junior positions and replacing them with AI – but if the dark web nurtures this talent, then in ten years, when senior developers retire, the deck will be stacked against the defenders.
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