How is your business affected by hackers and the dark web?
Nearly half of all cyber attacks are committed against small businesses. Hackers are looking for customer data (credit card information, bank account information, medical records, etc.) to steal so that they can sell it on the dark web in large batches. When a business is breached, and customer/employees' records are stolen, you lose your customers/employees' trust. If your business is the target of a breach, it’s important to contain that breach as quickly as possible. This is why the DoD started enforcing NIST 800-171 Compliance within the past week.
How do they sell your information?
The dark web is a hidden network of websites that gives visitors complete anonymity. It isn’t indexed by search engines and requires that you download and use a special browser called Tor. Tor is a web browser that renders your IP address undetectable and unidentifiable. The scarier part of that is how the hacker's IP is undetectable. This is how people sell your information online. They use Tor as a way to connect with people anonymously to find other people looking to purchase peoples personal information.
Most sites on the dark web have been set up by criminals and scammers who sell illegal goods, services and information. Sensitive information like username and passwords, social security numbers, medical information, credit card information and more is stored and sold on the dark web. Every day 6,452,266 records are stolen and the majority of those end up on the dark web.
Do you know how much your personal information sells for on the dark web?
Here’s what a few common pieces of information sell for:
- Social Security Number: $1
- Driver’s License: $20
- Credit Card Details: up to $100
- Medical Records: $500
These prices vary over time based on supply and demand. If there is a lower supply of social security numbers available for purchase, the price will go up because the information is more valuable at that time.
What does it cost to scam you on the dark web?
- Hacking Email: $40
- DDoS Attack: $50-$1,000
- Infecting your computer with ransomware: $750
- ATM Skimmers: $700-$1,500
- Commercial Malware $2,500
How can you protect yourself and your business from the dark web?
- Use strong passwords
- Change your passwords often
- Monitor your accounts on a regular basis
- Don’t give out sensitive information on the internet
- Install antivirus software and keep it up to date
- Install updates and patches
- Use dark web monitoring and response tools
- Educate your employees on the dark web
- Implement cyber security training
*Now lets get real...
If you're a private contractor working with/for the DoD, you have most likely heard about NIST SP 800-171 before. You've also probably only changed your passwords maybe a handful of times in your life. Most of those were probably only reset because you forgot the password. This is why the DoD made NIST SP 800-171 a requirement if you still want to do business with the DoD. You have 18 months to become compliant, or you're subject to lose any contracts with the DoD, along with any new contracts. We will help you do this.
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