While there is a lot of coverage of cyber-attacks against organisations, it is much harder to get an insight into what cyber criminals do with the data they steal.
Security firm Bitdefender has released a report, How Much Is Your Digital Life Worth on the Dark Net?, that lifts the lid on Dark Web marketplaces including the types of products/services offered and the asking prices asked for stolen consumer credentials.
The objective of the report is to educate general consumers on the big business of the criminal underground, how their information is procured/sold, and best practices for protecting your digital footprint.
Key Findings:
- Stolen credit cards sell at a fraction of what criminals ‘guarantee’ is on the balance. For example: Purchase a Visa Gold with CVV for $175 that has at least a $25,000 balance.
- Working SIM cards with anonymous numbers can be bought in dark markets to hide your identity. For example: we found 4 SIM cards going for just AU$500.
- Social media account credentials are big business. For example: 500 million Facebook accounts (usually acquired via breaches) are being sold for $20. Followers can also be purchased, with 50,000 Instagram followers being sold for $250.
- Passports and other IDs (real or excellent fakes with chips) are big business. US Passport = AU$2,750 Euros. EU Biometric passport = AU$7,300.
- Popular Streaming Services (stolen accounts or created via stolen credit cards) – go for a fraction of the cost of a real subscription. For example: 3 years of Netflix for 0.001 BTC (about $30 in today’s price)
You can read the full report here.
