With everything going on with the pandemic and global politics over the last few years, you might not know that 2020 was one of the worst years for cyber-attacks.
Some of the largest corporations in the world, like NASA, T-Mobile, and even cybersecurity companies like SolarWinds, were victims of some severe breaches in 2020. So, where does all of that leaked information land up? It ended up on the dark web, and up for sale, of course.
Privacy Affairs investigated how the dark web market has changed and adapted since 2020. Here are some of their findings:
The Price of Data
When it comes to big corporations, cyber-criminals have a lot of data to steal. Here are some of the most valuable data stolen and how much each piece of data is sold for on the dark web:
Credit Card Information
Stolen banking login information to accounts with a minimum of $2000 was sold for an average price of $120, while hacked US credit card details with CVV went for $17. Cloned Mastercards with PINs go for about $25 and credit card details with a $5000 account balance sold for $240.
Crypto Accounts
A hacked verified Coinbase account could sell for $610 or more, and a verified Kraken account could sell for $810. Cex.io verified accounts also sold for an average of $710.
Forged Physical Documents
Dutch, Polish and French passports sold for an average of $4000. Shockingly, Maltese passports were being sold on the dark web for a staggering $6000.
These are just a few of the many pieces of data and personal information up for sale on the dark web right now. Let’s take a closer look at what it means.
What Was Found
Privacy Affairs found a far higher volume being sold now than last year, with fake credit card and ID vendors reporting sales in the several thousands. As well as quantity, the variety of items that are available for purchase has increased as well.
With the enormous supply increase, buyers appear to be flocking toward larger, more ‘trustworthy’ websites, and the White House Market holds the largest market share of sales. Dark web markets have even begun parodying traditional markets with offers like ‘buy three cloned credit cards and get one free!’.
The dark web is also moving toward increased security on all ends in an effort to reduce tracking and detection by law enforcement. Markets have abandoned Bitcoin since it is no longer secure, and vendors demand that buyers use Monero for payment. They also communicate exclusively through PGP encryption.
Why is This Important?
While the average person might not get any useful insights from Dark Web market data, the data does provide a shocking perspective into just how valuable your personal data truly is and how easy it is to exploit you.
Hackers rarely resort to targeting specific individuals. With the massive volume of data that is available for purchase, all they need to do is play the numbers game, and if you aren’t protecting yourself, you’ll pay the price.