Medical history or identifying information can cost less than coffee. Experts ask for more control and warn of the "free utopia" on the web
The data are the goose that lays the golden eggs of the XXI century. A treasure that allows you to obtain information that is later used to sell us anything. It is one of the most coveted goods by large companies today to adapt their products to the habits and needs of customers. Experts estimate that it is a cake of 700,000 million euros. The relevance shows the operations giant like Facebook, which six years ago bought WhatsApp for more than 21,800 million dollars (18,000 million euros), or closed a few years ago Google when aquiriÃo YouTube for 1,650 million dollars. These last two companies were precisely fined last year for violating privacy laws. In the case of the website dedicated to sharing videos, it collected information on children for advertising purposes, while the search engine - the subject of the largest antitrust lawsuit by the US government in decades - collected millions of medical records in the United States without the knowledge of patients or doctors.
That there is a hidden trade in personal data is a fact that few should be surprised. And it is that the episodes of Black Mirror seem less and less to science fiction. Proof of this is that in cybersecurity meetings we smell the aroma of a payment platform and they tell us that our security is at risk. At least the 'online'. There are several different computer hacks that put Internet security into question. Recently TikTok, then Zoom or finally WhatsApp shows that all applications are vulnerable. And the fact is that the emergence of mobile phones brought many advantages, but also some that are not so: applications and companies are able to geolocate their users, know their tastes and their most daily habits and also know what the last payment is spent on. This battle has had a new chapter in recent weeks with the approval of Brussels to the purchase of Fitbit by Google. Of course, with nuances. The European Union does not want the data provided by smartwatches to fall into the wrong hands and will not be able to combine personal data for online advertising.
Data for less than what coffee is worth
For the first time, a study quantifies the value of data on the dark web, also known as the Dark Web. These data are worth around 870 euros, according to the Open University of Catalunya (UOC). Of course, it is an estimate, since there are no official figures. The UOC's Data Protection postgraduate professor Eduard Blasi explains that "in the Internet ecosystem if we don't pay it directly, we end up paying it indirectly with our data or even metadata." This expert makes a very revealing warning: "The belief that everything is free is a utopia."
In the opinion of specialists, Internet products and services should be more transparent. This was the reason that in May 2018 the new EU Data Protection Regulation began to apply. At that time, 71% of Europeans already shared their personal data online, but only 15% felt they had control over that information, according to data from the European Commission. «What the legislation seeks when regulating data protection is ultimate to give the power of control and disposition of the data to the user, so that you have the possibility to know exactly what data you have on each site and to be able to withdraw what you consider appropriate at any time. But in practice, it is difficult to exercise absolute control of the data, especially on free platforms. However, the incorporation of privacy principles in the design and by default of the new European regulation will undoubtedly facilitate the user to regain this control over their data, ”says Professor Eduard Blasi.
One of the most dangerous consequences when sharing personal data in public, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, is doxing, a form of cyberbullying that consists of using some personal information to damage reputation by selling it on the Darkweb. The researchers from Kaspersky have analyzed the price that personal safety can cost on the net and have found that access to sensitive data such as medical records or identification information, can cost less than a coffee. Everything has a price, and so does the data. And more when most have already lost account of the sites where they have marked their password. So currently the phrase of the information is power gains even more force in a hyper-connected world dependent on our technologies.
David Jacoby, a senior security analyst at Kaspersky Lab, explained at a company convention that the value would be around $ 3 per person if it is a Facebook, Xbox, or Netflix account. Double if what they want is one from Spotify, and up to ten dollars if we talk about AirBnB. The free options are not exempt from hacking either, since getting a Skype user's password costs just over half a dollar.
Awareness of privacy issues is increasing, yet most of us only have a general understanding of why it is important, in fact, 41% of Spanish millennials consider it to be 'too boring' to be a victim of privacy. cybercrime according to a survey carried out by the named international company dedicated to computer security. And this is not so. For example, doxing, which in a way is a cyberbullying method, can affect any user who expresses himself online or who does not match the values of other users.
To better understand how users' personal information might be used, Kaspersky has analyzed active offerings in a dozen international forums and markets on the Dark Web. Research has shown that access to personal data can have a starting price of less than half a dollar for an identification, depending on the depth and breadth of the data offered. Some personal data continue to be in demand almost a decade ago - mainly credit card data, access to banking, and electronic payment services - and their respective prices have not changed in recent years.
However, new types of data have also emerged. Now includes personal medical records and selfies with personal identification documents, with a price of up to 40 dollars (33 euros). The increase in the number of photos with documents in hand and the schemes that use them also reflects a trend in the "cyber-goods game." The misuse of such data can have quite significant consequences, such as performing malicious activities impersonating your identity.
The consequences of the misuse of other types of personal data are also relevant. Data sold on the black market can be used for extortion, the execution of scams and phishing schemes, and the direct theft of money. Certain types of data, such as access to personal accounts or password databases, can be used not only for financial gain but also to damage reputation and other types of social damage. “Social networks have made especially significant progress in this regard, as it is now much more difficult to steal a specific user's account. That said, I think our research highlights how important it is to be aware that data is, in fact, for sale, and can be used for malicious purposes.
The price of some of your data
- Credit card details - 5 to 8 euros
- Scanned driving licenses - 5 to 20 euros
- Scanned passports - 5 to 12 euros
- Subscription services - 0.5 to 6.5 euros
- Identification (Full name, SSN, DOB, email, mobile) - 0.5 to 8 euros
- Selfie with documents (passport, driver's license) - 32 to 50 euros
- Medical history - 1 to 25 euros
- Online bank account - 1-10% of its value
- PayPal account - 40 to 400 euros
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