Short Bytes: Increasing data breaches have made the personal identifiable information (PII) market very hot. The latest report outlines the different aspects of data breaches. Read more here.
Recently I wrote a piece describing the ways to know if your identity was hacked/stolen in some recent data breach. Many of you are unaware of the risks these data thefts pose and what cybercriminals aim to do with your data.
In this article, I’m going to highlight the facts that stolen data is of great important in the underground of the internet. But, how much does it costs to get someone’s stolen data in the Dark Web. Well, not more than $1.
The data breach at the Hacking Team would be still reminiscent in your memories that revealed many dark secrets about this complex network. The recent hack at Ashley Madison gives us more hints how desperate cybercriminals are to compromise millions of user accounts and personal information.
In the latest report of Trend Micro, named Understanding Data Breaches, the firm outlines some important details about the data breaches. The report explains how data breach takes place and what happens to this stolen intellectual property.
The firm’s research shows that only 25 percent of data leaks are caused due to some malware or hacking attack- instead, the insiders are a common reason behind these data losses. Other reasons include the use of physical skimming devices and loss/theft of storage devices.
The report contains other information regarding the most affected sectors and the damages done to an organization. However, one interesting aspect deals with the Dark Web and the worth of your personal identifiable information (PII).
For those who wish to learn more about the underground internet, you can learn it from these useful links: The Dark-Deep Web and Everything about Tor.
The PII sales are made in the Dark Web on a per-line basis of approximately $1. When I’m mentioning per-line basis, this means that each line of data contains a name, a date of birth, an address, a social security number and other personal information. So, if someone knowledgeable buys this data, he/she can cause serious damage. The report says that with the recent increase in the data breaches, the supply has increased and thus the prices have decreased.
The price of other information like credit card details ($25), bank account details ($200-$500) and PayPal($300) accounts goes much higher. The compromised Amazon, Facebook, Netflix and other accounts are also up for sale and you can even grab an account belonging to the US mobile operate for as low as $14.
Talking about other personal information, scanned documents like passports, driver’s licences, and bills could be purchased from $10 to $35.
Here’s how to determine if your data was stolen in some recent data breach.
Stay tuned with fossBytes. In the next article, I’ll be outlining the steps to take after your data has been hacked.
Recommended reads:
Google Tells You How To Stay Safe Online
Security Tips by the Expert: How Linux Foundation Protects its Computers
Top 10 Best Free Antivirus Software Of 2015
