Where Does My Stolen Information End Up?
Picture it: you just found out that your business network has been breached and someone stole highly valuable data. You might not just be worrying about who stole your data. You could also be asking where it ended up. Continue reading to gain a better understanding of where your stolen information lands.
Where Does Stolen Information Go?
Stolen information typically ends up on the Dark Web. Unavailable to the casual internet user, the Dark Web houses a treasure trove of stolen information. On the Dark Web, they offer it for sale and trade on chat groups and online forums. People buy, sell, and trade collections of personal information. This includes credit cards, health records, and a wealth of other information freely. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way for law enforcement to police the Dark Web, let alone capture the hackers. Â
In fact, the Dark Web behaves similarly to the commonly used worldwide web. So, once someone steals a piece of information and puts it on the Dark Web, it’s out there forever in most cases. Even if a site that’s hosting stolen information is no longer active, most data resides in multiple locations worldwide. This makes it almost impossible to find and delete every version of information that’s out there.
Criminals May Buy Your Stolen Information
Trouble doesn’t end once your data is stolen. Additionally, hackers auction off your stolen information on the dark web, selling to the highest bidder. If you’re curious how much this data is worth, visit privacyaffairs.com. On this website, they have a list of the going rate for data like credit card numbers with pins, stolen online bank logins, and PayPal account details. Remember, this is just a small sample of the type of data that interested criminals purchase.
So, what can you do to protect your information and your company data?
To protect your information, create a strong password and change it regularly. Secondly, you should make sure you only browse on secure internet sites. Also, it’s strongly recommended that you use a VPN over public Wi-Fi. Lastly, always safeguard your personal information, physically and virtually.
In addition, QuickProtect offers its clients Dark Web Monitoring. Dark Web Monitoring helps shine a light on the dark web. Never worry A we’ll notify you if there is a potential breach of your company’s network. Plus, we look for evidence of account compromises and watch for PII (Personally Identifiable Information). PII includes home addresses and social insurance/social security numbers. To learn more about Dark Web Monitoring, contact QuickProtect.Â
