While most people associate the “Dark Web” as a murky underworld where users can easily buy and sell anything from drugs, counterfeit passports, and even advanced weaponry, it’s also proven to be a popular destination for users to traffic in stolen data. From banking information to online streaming credentials, the extent to which our private and financial data is readily available to anyone willing to pay for it is downright scary.
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Recently, McAfee Labs published a report titled The Hidden Data Economy. As the name suggests, the report provides us with a number of interesting insights into the economics that govern stolen data on the dark web. Suffice it to say, any and everything imaginable is available for the right price.
For instance, the report touches on the going rate for banking login credentials. As evidenced below, the granularity of what is available is simultaneously impressive and jarring.
- Average estimated price for stolen credit and debit cards: $5 to $30 in the United States; $20 to $35 in the United Kingdom; $20 to $40 in Canada; $21 to $40 in Australia; and $25 to $45 in the European Union.
- Bank login credentials for a $2,200 balance bank account selling for $190.
- Bank login credentials plus stealth funds transfers to U.S. banks priced from $500 for a $6,000 account balance, to $1,200 for a $20,000 account balance.
- Bank login credentials and stealth funds transfers to U.K. banks range from $700 for a $10,000 account balance, to $900 for a $16,000 account balance.
- Online payment service login credentials priced between $20 and $50 for account balances from $400 to $1,000; between $200 and $300 for balances from $5,000 to $8,000.
Also interesting is how the going price of a stolen credit card number increases with each additional piece of card owner information provided. Note that the “Fullzinfo” label below refers to when a credit card number comes with the owner’s full name, billing address, expiration date, PIN number, social security number, mother’s maiden name, and date of birth.
It’s also worth highlighting that the dark web has become a marketplace where users can even traffic in login credentials across varying streaming services, including Netflix, premium cable channels, and sports streaming stations.
“Many online streaming entertainment media services are commonly sold,” the report notes. “Both HBO NOW and HBO GO accounts can be found for less than $10 as well as other cable TV-branded streaming services. Clearly, video streaming services are in
high demand. Even premium professional sports streaming services can be purchased for $15.”
But without question, the scariest aspect of stolen data on the dark web is full-on identity theft. The image below shows what a prospective buyer might see when perusing identities for sale. Note how prospective buyers would gain control of an individual’s entire digital life, including email accounts, and every social media account you can think of.
The entire report, available via the source link below, is chock full of information and is well worth checking out in its entirety.
