- NordVPN released a new tool that calculates the price of your online data
- It is based on a search of 75,000 listings on dark web marketplaces.
- Research shows that currently US data is the cheapest to buy
NordVPN invites you to understand the price of your personal data online with a new tool based on extensive research on the dark web.
TechRadar’s Best VPN analyzed over 75,000 listings on dark web marketplaces and compiled a list of personal data commonly traded on these marketplaces. From bank accounts to Netflix subscriptions to credit card details, these pieces of data were frequently sold on the dark web for as little as $5.
To illustrate this point, the VPN provider has turned all of its research into an interactive calculator that helps you determine how much your unique and sensitive data is really worth if it falls into the wrong hands.
How does it work?
NordVPN’s calculator challenges users to discover their own numerical value. By selecting your country and data types, the tool displays a figure corresponding to the price a cybercriminal would pay to buy this data package on the dark web.
“Every online account you own has a price on the dark web,” warns Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN.
This may not be new: insurance companies have been working to put a price on a human life for a long time.
However, the dark web has gone even further, allowing criminal market dynamics to price our digital assets incredibly low – even as low as $1 for a personal email account if sold in bulk.
NordVPN’s research shows that prices vary widely from country to country, depending on supply and demand dynamics.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Americans’ personal data is the most sought after in the world. However, what is less obvious is that the abundance of security vulnerabilities also makes it the cheapest to buy.
Stolen credit cards in North America are sold for as little as $10 and account for more than 70% of all stolen card listings. However, in countries where stolen data is rarer, such as Japan or Singapore, the same cards sell for a very high price.
The same logic applies to data packets, that is, sets of information, including identification numbers and dates of birth, sufficient to impersonate a person. Where an American package sells for $35, a Japanese package is worth several times that amount.
A subtle and dramatic threat
The tool also shows how the effects of criminal theft can range from almost imperceptible to dramatic.
On one end of the spectrum, criminals can create ongoing subscription-style businesses by stealing and reselling Netflix or Spotify accounts that cost as little as $4.55 and are often invisible to you.
On the other hand, your entire identity, including your social media accounts, can be purchased for less than $150 and significantly disrupt your life.
Between these two extremes lies the middle case of businesses, with NordVPN having found over 14,000 lists of business email addresses on the dark web. These accounts act as gateways to entire corporate networks, which can cause significant and often irreversible business damage.
“The reality is that your data could already be for sale and you would have no way of knowing unless you actively verify it,” Briedis warns. Its Dark Web Monitoring Pro actively scans the Dark Web for leaked credit card numbers, tax ID numbers, and phone numbers.
If our data is so cheap to buy, how should we respond? If there is anything to remember, it is that identity theft is not always dramatic and that vigilance is essential.
As cyberattacks continue to increase, using unique passwords for each account through a strong password manager, enabling multi-factor authentication, and limiting the sharing of personal information online can make a world of difference.
