Notorious ‘BreachForums’ Hacking Forum Shuts Down, Admin Teases Future Plans

BreachForums’ administrator “Baphomet” recently announced that the infamous hacking forum is officially closing its doors. Although the March 21^st announcement took many by surprise, Baphomet cryptically emphasizes that this decision doesn’t necessarily mark “the end.”

“I will be taking down the forum, as I believe we can assume that nothing is safe anymore,” reads the administrator’s announcement on a BreachForums Telegram channel. “You are allowed to hate me, and disagree with my decision but I promise what is to come will be better for us all."

Although speculation is rampant, Baphomet shared no further details of any upcoming project or plans to rebuild the infamous hacking forum.

The announcement was likely spurred by the arrest of Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, owner and operator of BreachForums, also known as ‘Pompompurin.’

Fitzpatrick’s arrest triggered unrest among the forum’s members, especially its new administration, who believe authorities might have gained access to the website’s source code, configurations, and user database.

Threat actors often use hacking forums to sell stolen data, counterfeit documents, credit cards, drugs, malware, and other illicit goods, or advertise their services. With the loss of BreachForums, where many perpetrators carried out their malicious activity, many expect a shift towards other channels, such as underground forums.

It’s unlikely that BreachForums’ shutdown will put an end to cybercriminal activity of its participants. If anything, it will probably significantly hamper cybersecurity experts, who often use the website to stay up to speed with data breaches, new vulnerabilities and proofs-of-concept (PoCs).

Cybercrooks repeatedly proved their resilience in the face of adversity by adapting their techniques and finding new ways to stay connected with their peers. BreachForums’ shutdown may seem like a victory for now, but it could also spell trouble, as malware authors could get better at keeping their menace under wraps until they’re ready to unleash it into the wild.