Number of stolen and exposed credentials has risen 300% from 2018
Digital Shadowsreveals new research assessing how cybercriminals exploit stolen credentials for accounts that we use every day, including bank accounts, social media and video streaming services. The study, entitled From Exposure to Takeover finds there are more than 15 billion credentials in circulation in cybercriminal marketplaces, many on the dark web – the equivalent of more than two for every person on the planet. The number of stolen and exposed credentials has risen 300 percent from 2018 as the result of more than 100,000 separate breaches. Of these, more than 5 billion were assessed to be ‘unique’ – i.e. they have not been advertised more than once on criminal forums.
The majority of exposed account credentials belong to consumers and include usernames and passwords from bank accounts to video and music streaming services. Many account details are offered free of charge but of those on sale the average account trades for $15.43. Unsurprisingly, bank and financial accounts are the most expensive, averaging at $70.91, however they trade for upwards of $500, depending on the ‘quality’ of the account. In addition to being the most expensive, banking, and financial accounts accounted for 25 percent of all the advertisements analyzed.