Why your personal information could be for sale on the Dark Web

Tens of thousands of people had their details stolen last year.

Over 600,000 people's personal details were stolen from companies last year.

Worryingly, profiles have been stolen from the Government’s own computer systems which is enough detail to take control of someone’s digital identity.

A British person's details are worth $30 (less than £20) each on average, a Whitehall official told the Financial Times.

Profiles hacked from the Government Gateway database, containing key information from departments like HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions, have been available for $75 (around £49), the Financial Times reports.

Research published by anti-virus software Symantec released in April said there were almost one million new cyber threats released online every day in 2014, with five out of six large companies globally targeted. The report also shows that a worrying 358 million identities were exposed worldwide last year.

Last week’s TalkTalk hack accessed customers’ personal details including bank account numbers and sort codes. Banks said that hackers would need more information to enable them to take money from a customer’s bank account, stressing that the chances are small.

The hack had less of an impact than first thought, with only a tiny fraction of users affected, but it is still a concern that so many people's details are being sold on the so-called 'Dark Web'.

What is the Dark Web?

The Dark Web is essentially the hidden underbelly of the internet.

It hosts the more unsavoury sites that search engines like Google can’t reach. Using specific browsers, you can access sites which host illegal content like pirated music and films, child pornography and websites selling credit card details, drugs and weapons.

Dark websites are available to the public but hide the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the servers that run them. This means that they can be seen by anyone but it’s difficult to pin down the people behind them.

Similarly, the browser can be used to hide your identity or fake your location. The end user’s IP is bounced through several layers of encryption to appear to be at another address on the network.

Signs that your identity has been stolen

Keep a check on your bank account and any other accounts you hold for anything unusual. Bills or statements for unknown products or accounts are an indicator that you might have been hacked. Misinformation on your credit report, as well as being turned down for credit when your rating is good, should raise a red flag.

Missing post or email could be a sign that a fraudster has changed your address for their own gain. Equally, receiving collection notices or debts on things you don’t owe shows that the fraudster may be buying things on your account.

Had your ID stolen? Find out what to do next.

Protect your details

While companies need to make sure your data is safe there are things you can do too to minimise the chances of being scammed.

Be wary of public WiFi

Check that the WiFi you’re using in that shop, café or bar is legitimate because hackers can set up fake WiFi networks that looks real. You’re best checking with an employee before you sign in. Remember to log out of everything you were using on the WiFi as well as switching it off when you’re not using it.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your connection by looping it between your device and the internet server that you’re using. This makes it a lot more difficult for hackers to gain access to your details. Go to your settings menu to get started.

Check the search bar

If a site is secure there’ll be a green lock sign next to it and it’ll say https in the URL. This means it encrypts data that passes from your device to the internet server, making it secure.

Be careful which apps you trust

Check permissions on your apps before you install them. This is the bit which asks you what the app wants access to, such as your contacts list.

Don’t respond to spam emails, even as a joke

Replying to spam emails lets the sender know that you’re a real person so you’ll just get landed with more and more.

Mind your keys

A keylogger is a piece of hardware or software that logs every key you press on your keyboard. Think personal messages, passwords, credit card numbers and more.

It typically comes from malware sent as attachements in emails but it can also be from software, so only download from reputable websites.

Keyloggers secretly run in the background without you even realising it. Sequences of numbers could then be uploaded to a malicious server. They can also be linked with other types of computer monitoring software so that attackers can see what websites you’ve visited, matching key strokes to important details.

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