By now, everyone's heard of the dark web — the dank and perilous section of the internet that's hosted entirely on darknets (a network only accessible with specific software or authorization).
Your sensitive data is the hottest seller on these dark marketplaces. Accounts, payment data, and documents are just some of the prized commodities on offer.
In this article, we'll disclose the real-life value of your data on the dark web as per the Dark Web Price Index of 2022 and 2023. Afterward, we'll uncover 3 golden cybersecurity tips to keep your data safe.
2023 saw a decrease in social media-related data like hacked accounts and new followers or likes. Let's take a look at a few examples:
As the online payment ecosystem grows, so does the marketplace for stolen payment processors. Here are just a few examples:
The cryptocurrency market is perhaps the fastest-evolving industry in this section. Due to the inflow of many new platforms, the price of your crypto accounts has increased massively:
Hackers have seen their prices generally lower over the last year. From DDoS attacks to sophisticated malware, the price tag of cyber-attacks has become cheaper:
Interestingly, the reports have shown wide fluctuation in the value of stolen and forged documents. Driving licenses and passports are the most common being sold:
Pay-as-you-go and subscription-based services have increased in popularity on the dark web this year. Interestingly though, the general price of hacked accounts has reduced:
The harsh truth is that your internet connection isn't fully secured without a Virtual Private Network (VPN). They create an encrypted tunnel for your data to pass through. Any hacker who successfully steals your data will find an obscure mess of unreadable data. Don't waste any more time, and test out a free trial vpn now.
To understand the scope of damage a cyberattack can do, you first need to know what data will be targeted. Using data discovery tools like Qlik, you can identify all of your sensitive data assets. Once found, it's easy to delete any data you don't need and decide what data needs to be secured.
If you got this far, you probably need this wake-up call. Every account you possess is more secure with unguessable passwords, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and password vaults. The general rule is: if you can remember your password, it can't be that hard to crack.
Sensitive data is the lifeblood of dark web marketplaces — every piece a hacker can steal will fetch them a pretty penny.
However, if you secure your connection, remove unnecessary data, and upgrade your cybersecurity, your credit cards won't end up on the dark web.