Hackers sell UK citizens’ personal information for £20 on Dark Web
Government officials have revealed hackers stole the personal information of tens of thousands of UK citizens and that the details are being sold on the Dark Web.
It is believed hackers managed to steal databases from government departments and UK businesses containing the personal information of 609,238 UK individuals. Many of the thefts go unreported as businesses and government seek to minimise cost and negative publicity.
Cyber Security company TechLock investigated the hack and revealed that the stolen identities include enough bank account information to allow identity thieves to steal funds from individuals and that the information is being sold on the Dark Web for around £20 per identity.
The Dark Web is a hidden part of the internet that is not discoverable through traditional web searches.
The UK government has invested £860m into cyber security and is particularly focused on helping businesses to protect themselves from cyber attacks which can be extremely costly and damaging.
A number of large companies have recently become the victims of illegal hackers who have broken into systems to steal the names, addresses, dates of birth, contact numbers, email addresses, bank details and credit card numbers of customers. Cyber crime is the fastest growing threat to government, businesses and individuals.