Technology
Personal data of 10,000 Australians found for sale online
The personal identities of at least five million people have been stolen and put up for sale for around $9AUD on data harvesting programs, a VPN provider has found.
NordVPN, a company that provides a service for encrypted internet connection, analysed millions of stolen logins, auto-fill forms, device screenshots, webcam snaps and internet browser data stolen over a four-year-period and put up for sale across three “bot” markets - places where hackers sell data they have stolen using malware or viruses.
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NordVPN chief Technology officer Marijus Briedis said the stolen personal information was on the general internet for anyone to see and could be updated even if a person changed their password.
“After the bot is sold, they guarantee the buyer that the victim’s information will be updated as long as their device is infected by the bot,” he said.
The report found more than 10,000 of the identities whose information was stolen were linked to Australians, while six thousand were linked to people in New Zealand.
It found most of the login information came from Google, then Microsoft and then Facebook.
Briedis said hackers could steal large amounts of personal information by hacking someone’s internet browser or webcam.
“A simple password is no longer worth money to criminals, when they can buy logins, cookies, and digital fingerprints in one click for just $A9,” he said.
Tips on protection
NordVPN said the stolen information could be used for phishing attacks and to try and impersonate people or Businesses in an attempt to scam third-parties for money.
They could also hack a person’s social media accounts and post fake information.
“To protect yourself, use an antivirus at all times. Other measures that could help – a password manager and file encryptions tools to make sure that even if a criminal infects your device, there is very little for them to steal,” said Briedis.
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