How Much Cybercriminals Sell Your Information For on The Dark Web

How Much Cybercriminals Sell Your Information For on The Dark Web

There are tons of ways your information could end up on the Dark Web. Think about every account you’ve ever opened, not just your important financial and government accounts, but even simple everyday accounts you open for online shopping, grocery stores, or social media platforms. 

We’re constantly giving out our emails and phone numbers and this could result in some serious security risks if this information gets leaked.

Cyberattacks and breaches happen globally every second. If one of those breaches occurs with a site, brand, or company you have ties to, your information could easily end up in the wrong hands and you may not even be aware when it happens.

What Is The Dark Web?

The Dark Web is essentially the world wide web that exists on darknets. This ‘underground’ web is often where illegal activity takes place such as illegal trade, media, forums, terrorism, and much more. Oftentimes, leaked or stolen information ends up on the Dark Web.

Your average person cannot access the Dark Web, it requires specific software to enter and participate in Dark Web activity.

How Much Is Your Information Selling For?

According to recent studies, cloned credit cards with a matching PIN go for around $35 US while other credit card information can sell for as low as $12-20 US. 

For bank account login information with accounts that hold a balance over $2000 US, cybercriminals sell these for around $65 US. This is how cheap and easy it is for anyone to buy your stolen credit card or banking account information on the Dark Web.

Email account login information sells for relatively high at around $156 US. This may be the case because email accounts tend to hold tons of sensitive information including the information of other potential targets for cybercriminals. 

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PayPal accounts are also a hot commodity on the Dark Web with prices ranging from $155-320 US depending on the size of transfers.

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How To Avoid Losing Your Information

Here are a few ways you can reduce your risk of losing information:

• Look out for phishing scams

Cyber Unit provides next-level email security that filters all incoming messages for potential phishing attempts. Our services have helped tons of clients prevent falling victim to malware and losing their data to cybercriminals.

• Limit Your Accounts

The more accounts you open and the more information you share with sites and organizations, the more prone you are to losing data online. Only share your information for essential purposes. 

• Generate Strong and Unique Passwords

If you struggle with keeping track of passwords or generating strong passwords, we highly recommend trying out a password management tool like LastPass. 

• Implement 2FA and MFA

Whenever possible, always implement two-factor or multi-factor authentication for access to accounts. This added layer of security will ensure that you’re the only one accessing your systems.

• Avoid Unsecured Networks

It’s very easy for a cybercriminal to infiltrate your systems through unsecured networks. This is why it’s a good idea to avoid unsecured or public networks in general, but especially when accessing sensitive or personal information on your devices.

Finally, Cyber Unit’s security plans are here to help you and your business on all ends. We provide amazing computer, mobile, and email security as well as Dark Web monitoring.

If your information somehow ends up circulating the Dark Web, we’ll notify you right away and assist you in what ever recovery is needed.

Feel free to get in touch with us for specific information or read more about our services HERE.