Revealed: The Chinese forums offering hacking courses for just US$100

Amid increasing cyber attacks on both political and commercial targets by groups linked to China, the barriers to entering this potentially lucrative black market industry are close to non-existent as hackers share tips and best practices online.

In April, cybersecurity firm FireEye reported that Chinese hacking groups had been spying on governments and businesses in southeast Asia and India for almost a decade.

Last month, the United States government blamed hacking groups in China for an attack on the Office of Personnel Management which saw the perpetrators make off with at least 21.5 million records, including highly confidential security clearance information.

On the Chinese internet, websites and forums dedicated to teaching hacking proliferate. Techniques on offer can be used by both criminal "black hat" hackers and "white hat" cybersecurity researchers.

On HDHacker, a forum which claims more than 465,000 members, one training programme for "black hat" hackers promises tutors with six years of experience who will guide students through a curriculum that includes "dozens of security and remote control methods" and "site penetration and analysis of source code" for a one off fee of 650 yuan (US$105).

Those willing to pay 990 yuan for the premium service can get VIP treatment with outside experts who give regular online seminars and a curated curriculum.