How much your personal data sells for on the dark web

Kaspersky researchers have published a price range for different types of sensitive personal data, including credit card details and online banking accounts.

The researchers analysed active offers on 10 international darknet forums and marketplaces.

The research has shown that access to personal data can start from as low as $0.50 (R7.66) for an ID, depending on the depth and breadth of the data offered.

Other personal information, like credit card data, banking and e-payment service access remains as in demand as it was almost a decade ago.

The prices for this high-demand personal data remained unchanged in recent years.

New types of data have also emerged. This now includes personal medical records and selfies with personal identification documents, which cost up to $40.

The growth in the number of photos with documents in hand and schemes using them also reflects a trend in the ‘cybergoods game’.

Abuse of this data potentially results in quite significant consequences, such as taking victims’ names or services on the basis of their identity.

Consequences of abuse of other types of personal data are also significant.

Data sold on the dark market can be used for extortion, execution of scams and phishing schemes, and direct theft of money.

Certain types of data, such as access to personal accounts or password databases, can be abused for financial gain and to cause reputational harm and other types of social damage, including doxing.

Doxing occurs when a person shares private information about another person without their consent to embarrass, hurt, or otherwise put the target in danger.

Users typically do not expect personal information to leak out into the public domain, and even if it does, they do not anticipate what harm that might do.

But as practice shows, with especially determined abusers or malicious users, doxing may potentially turn as far as hacking into the target’s accounts.

How much your personal data costs

The table below provides an overview of how much your personal data is sold for on the dark web.

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