How Much Your Stolen Data Is Worth to Scammers

How Much Your Stolen Data Is Worth to Scammers

Via lifehacker: http://lifehacker.com/5973086/how-much-your-stolen-data-is-worth-to-scammers

“If you’ve ever wondered what happens to … data once it’s stolen, Krebs on Security dug into the world of account resellers to see just how much your data is worth. … Digging through a bunch of different reseller sites, Krebs found that usernames and passwords to accounts on Overstock, Dell, Apple, Walmart, and others sell for just $2 a pop. Others, like UPS and Fedex, go for $5 a piece. Finally, if the hacked account comes with credentials to an email address they’ll get a couple dollars more. Some places even sell “logs” of user credentials and browser history for a bulk rate—one was selling 6 GB of logs for $150.”

Even though it sells solutions (and I’m not making a recommendation here), head over to Krebs on Security to see all the ways your account information is sold online.

Exploring the Market for Stolen Passwords | Krebs on Security

This might be a useful datapoint for training web users about security, privacy, identity theft, and other internet cautions.

Stephen