Cybercrime is not a media invention, but a real threat that everyone must take into account. You can also fall prey to a hacker or a group of hackers, so that your valuable personal information can be stolen. It’s just a matter of making simple security mistakes. Have you ever wondered what a hacker does with this data? These are the most common scenarios.
Trade in Darknet
Darknet is a so called dark website of the Internet. It is an alternative network to the one we all use every day. It uses TOR technology, thanks to which websites, messages and announcements functioning in this network are practically impossible to be traced by the services. Darknet is an eldorado for criminals who offer here everything that is considered illegal: weapons, drugs, child pornography, as well as stolen personal data.
If a hacker comes into possession of your data, it is very likely that it will go to Darknet, where the offender will put it up for sale. However, such a step is taken mainly by hackers who have acquired a large data set, e.g. bank clients or a postal program.
Quick action
In case the hacker gets the data to log in to your e-banking system, the offender will almost certainly decide to clean your account. You won’t even know that you’ve been a victim of a hacker until the shop rejects payment with your card. Earlier you may also be contacted by a bank who will ask you to authorise a large transfer to a suspicious account.
Clever hackers sometimes do not decide to rob their victims at once. They prefer to gradually pay out smaller amounts or make purchases in online shops at the expense of an unaware user.
Spreading malicious software
Your personal data may be used to commit further crimes. All you need to do is take control of your email address or Facebook profile. Thanks to this, it will be able to send files with malicious software. Because your addresses are trusted and associated by the recipients, many people can be tricked into clicking on the link and thus also fall victim to the offender.
Each of these scenarios is, of course, very dangerous for you. The theft of personal data can result in debts, loss of trust, entanglement in an unfavourable agreement or even legal problems.
Therefore, take data protection seriously. Use antivirus software, do not enter suspicious sites, log in only on your own devices and on a secure network. That is the absolute basis.