Have you ever wondered what hackers do with all of the data they steal on a regular basis? Sure, they could go public with it like they did with the Ashley Madison and Sony hacks, or they could sell it and make some quick cash. Credentials like passwords, usernames, Social Security numbers, and more, can be sold for top dollar in illegal markets, but how much can your identity go for?

Basically, when your accounts are hacked, criminals will often attempt to sell this information on the Dark Web; a place where only those on the anonymity network, Tor, can access. Most stolen information consists of personal and financial data, but hackers will often be content with making off with anything they possibly can. The most common industries targeted are healthcare, government, retail, and education, but it should be mentioned that all businesses are susceptible to all kinds of data.

As a business owner the last thing you want is a hacker stealing your organization’s financial information or your employees’ personal information. Your organization’s information is much more valuable than you might think it is, especially to hackers. They will find value in any data, regardless of what it is. Here are some figures provided by ZDNet as to just how much specific credentials, accounts, and other sensitive information can go for on the Dark Web.

So, as you can see, data theft is no joke to hackers, and it shouldn’t be for your business either. The legal ramifications of allowing a large-scale data breach, including the theft of your, employee and client information could result in extremely pricy fines, a loss of credibility, and in the worst-case scenario, the end for your organization. While one individual’s personal information might not have a big price tag, your contact database is a treasure trove to hackers.

The best way to avoid a full-scale hack that results in the theft of a significant amount of personal information is to implement a comprehensive security solution designed to keep threats out and eliminate suspicious activity on your network. A Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution is capable of providing a firewall, antivirus, spam blocking, and content filtering solution that’s designed with the safety of your organization in mind. Give us a call at (610) 828-5500 to learn more about how CTN can protect your organization from hacking attacks.