How to protect personal data from being sold on the Dark Web

According to Kaspersky, cybercriminals can use stolen information for blackmail and fraud, as well as directly steal victims’ funds. Cybercriminals will capture your personal information and usually do one of two things with it. They will use it to hack your account directly or they will sell on the Dark Web. And once your personal data is sold, buyers can use it for profit or to bribe, a way that bad actors make personal information about you public for all to see. In a blog post on Tuesday.

Personal information

ID Card Data: 1,159 VND to 231,350 VND

Containing sensitive information such as Social Security numbers (SSNs), identity cards are a form of citizenship verification in many countries, including the US and Europe. While such cards may seem important, they are not widely sought after on the Dark Web. A card or document with your full name and insurance number priced above Dark Web at least 1,000 VND/person. A full package with name, ID number, SSN, date of birth, email address and phone number can cost 231k VND/person.

Passport Scan: 138,810 VND to 347,025 VND

Another popular form of authentication, passports are commonly used in countries like Russia and Ukraine. Such documents can be easily found on the Dark Web when you consider the number of times someone’s passport has been scanned at a post office, airport or another location. Passport copies can be sold for between $6 and $15 (138,810 VND to 347,025 VND) depending on the quality of the passport scan, country of origin, etc.

Driver’s License Scan: 116k to 578k VND

A driver’s license is also used as a method of identification. And through scanning a license like a passport it can be found on the Dark Web. It sells for between $5 and $25. These scans of a driver’s license can be used by criminals to rent a car, commit insurance fraud, and present to drivers. different services.

Medical Records

As medical records become more technological, they also become vulnerable to online theft for sale on the Dark Web. This type of data is sold on the Dark Web in different types, from medical forms with full names, email addresses and insurance numbers to records with complete medical history, prescriptions and data. other patient data.

Sells for $1 to $30 per piece and it can also be used for ransomware. To give an example: Finnish mental health care organization Vastaamo was hacked and it affected the data of at least 2,000 patients. After providing stolen information for sale on the Dark Web, the attackers wanted a ransom to delete it before turning their attention directly to the patient.

How to keep my information from being sold on the Dark Web

• Never reuse your password across multiple accounts. Use unique passwords for each account and use Browser’s password manager to store them.
• Protect your device with fingerprint/face scanning security or with a PIN or password.
• Use two-factor authentication. Remember that using a one-time code generator app is safer than receiving a code via SMS.
• Always check the permission settings on the apps you use.
• Think twice before you post on social media channels. Always consider how the content you share can be interpreted and used by others. Could there be unintended consequences of making your views or information public? Can the content be used against you or against you now or in the future?