How Much Could Your Data Cost on the Dark Web? Be Alert!
By Space Coast Daily // April 28, 2023
Whether you are using the internet for online shopping or for your studies, all your personal data can be easily stored and used. Moreover, it can also be sold.
Yes, you got me right. All your sensitive information can be sold and bought without your knowledge and consent. The data sellers can get quite a good price for your data.
According to ExpressVPN’s Dark Web Index, credit card numbers and other data of yours have different prices on the Internet. You must be thinking now, how is it possible? Well, this buying and selling are possible through the dark web on the internet. Drak web is all about the unindexed web. The dark web is easily available to hackers and cybercriminals.
What is the Dark Web?
The dark web is not indexed by search engines, and it demands some specific software and configurations to access.
Most of the time, this part of the internet is often connected with illegal activities. All the illegal things can be seen on the dark web, like selling weapons, unethical websites, and much more.
In contrast, the dark web is a second heaven for cybercriminals and hackers. Using the dark web, hackers can share all the information anonymously. In short, all the activities on the dark web is mostly illegal, but some lack rules and regulation, and their popularity of it makes them easy to catch.
Types of Personal Data Sold on the Dark Web
The dark web is the hub for cybercriminals to look for personal data. There are many types of personal data available on the dark web, but some of them are mostly sold. I have shared below the type of data that can be easily sold on the dark web.
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Personal Identifiable Information: Names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other identifying information are all included in this information. Financial fraud and identity theft are just two examples of malicious uses of PII.
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Medical Records: Medications, diagnoses, and treatments are all included in your medical records. Fraudulent insurance claims, blackmail, or even the sale of pharmaceutical company information can be committed with this information.
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Social Media Accounts: You can find a lot of personal information about yourself on social media, such as your interests, likes, and dislikes. Information provided by hackers can be used to launch targeted phishing campaigns, gain access to other accounts, or be sold to advertisers.
The dark web sells many types of personal data. These examples are a few. To avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime, it is crucial that you protect your personal information online and secure your online accounts.
Real-World Examples of Personal Data Sales on the Dark Web
You will be sad to know that personal data selling on the dark web is not a thing that you hear only, but it happens. I have shared below some real-world examples of personal data sales that can be easily done on the dark web.
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Credit Card Data: There are many ways to commit fraud on the dark web. Likewise, cybercriminals can sell your credit card numbers, codes, and the validity date of your cards. In 2019, a group of hackers known as “Magecart” stole and sold the credit card data of more than 460,000 customers of the online retailer Newegg.
Social Security Numbers: Social Security numbers are a valuable commodity on the dark web as they can be used to commit identity theft, open new credit accounts, and file fraudulent tax returns. The highest number of data breaches was caught in 2017 by the credit reporting agency. In the report, there were maximum data about Social Security numbers, date of birth, and much more.
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Medical Records: Medical records are the high-selling data on the dark web as it contains all the health and wellness information. In 2018, one of the well-known hackers, “TheDarkOverlord,” tried to sell all the medical health records of the celebrity and high-profile individuals to earn.
These examples go you an idea about the real risk of personal data sales on the dark web so that you can easily understand why it is so important to keep personal data private online and offline as well.
How to Protect Your Personal Data?
It is very important to protect your personal data in today’s time. But there are some ways that you can use to protect your personal data. I have shared below some steps that you can follow to protect your data.
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Use Strong Passwords: Try to use unique and strong passwords that can help you. Do not use the same passwords that you have used for your online accounts. Make sure you use unique and strong passwords.
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Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication is crucial as it gives your highest protection from online fraud. Your accounts are secured with codes. Basically, this helps you to be safe, and no one can access your password.
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Regularly Monitor Financial Statements: If you are using net banking or doing any kind of online transactions, then you should be aware of your passwords. Moreover, try to monitor all your transactions and financial statements.
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Use a VPN: Try to use a VPN service when you have doubts on the web or log in to unknown sites. You can also avoid using the public network so all your sensitive information can be saved easily.
I have explained all the ways above that you can try to protect your personal data from the dark web. By using some alertness, you can do it easily without any extra technical knowledge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have shared all about how much your data could cost on the dark web. The dark web is one of the most dangerous parts of the internet that can harm you in many ways unless you become aware of it.
I have shared the above solutions and risk factors related to your personal data on the internet that you can check out. I hope you have found this helpful. Have a great day!
