Picture an iceberg.
The portion of ice bobbing above the sea represents the surface web. That’s where platforms like Facebook, Google and Savinly exist.
Dive down beneath the surface into depths of roughly 100 feet and you enter the deep web. That’s where you’ll encounter medical files, court records, password-protected resources and other parts of the internet that search engines don’t index.
Even deeper, in utter darkness, lies the darknet — an encrypted network reachable only through specialized tools designed to preserve anonymity.
I’ve never personally navigated the darknet, but it turns out it’s a space where cybercrooks can find me — and you.
Your Personal Data Is Bargained on the Darknet
The buying and selling of your private information and account credentials is one of the many illegal activities taking place on the darknet.
Each of your account logins carries a market price, according to Top10VPN’s Dark Web Market Price Index, and those values aren’t very high. Top10VPN, a site that compares virtual privacy networks, examined fraud-related listings across the three largest darknet markets from Feb. 5–11 to determine the average sale price for different pieces of personal data.
There’s a tag for everything, from your Macy’s account ($15.34) to your Instagram credentials ($1.28).
Stolen credit card and financial credentials fetch the highest prices, while logins for dating sites bring up the rear.
Your whole online identity adds up to less than $1,200 on the darknet.
Your PayPal credentials, online banking information and Western Union logins were the top three most valuable items, with average asking prices of $247, $160 and $101, respectively. The monetary worth of these details makes them attractive targets for fraudsters.
So what can you do to defend yourself?
Time for an Update: Change Your PayPal Password
Access to your PayPal account is the most prized piece of data on the darknet.
Why is it so sought-after? PayPal is a virtual gateway to funds for criminals, because many users link several bank accounts, debit cards and at least one credit card to the service.
You’re even more exposed if you’ve used the same PayPal password for years or reuse that password across multiple services.
The simplest fix: change your password right now,and set a schedule to update it regularly.
Steps to Stay Safer After Changing Your PayPal Password
PayPal offers a range of security recommendations for both buyers and sellers. Implementing a few basic security habits will help safeguard your digital life.
Keep Your Software Current
Updating software patches vulnerabilities hackers might exploit to breach your computer or mobile device.PayPal highlights common targets for cybercriminals such as Microsoft Office, web browsers, Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Reader.
Install Anti-Virus Protection
If your device has a security gap, a hacker can plant malware — malicious programs that can infect your machine or grant intruders access to your private data. Installing reputable anti-virus software can prevent many of these attacks.
Lock Your Device With a Password or PIN
Leaving your computer or phone unlocked is like leaving your front door open. Without password or PIN protection, anyone who picks up your device — or finds it unattended in public — could access your information. This is the first — and one of the easiest — protections you can apply to keep your personal data private.
Add a Second Layer of Security
Use two-factor authentication so you must enter your regular PayPal password and a one-time PIN that changes with each login. PayPal can text you the code. It’s free to sign up for this extra safeguard.
Don’t Fall for Phishing
Scammers deploy many tricks to trick you into surrendering your credentials. They send phishing emails with links that lead to sites that look like PayPal but aren’t. Then they wait for you to instinctively type in your password and seize it.
To avoid this, always confirm that the address bar reads “https://www.paypal.com/”before entering your credentials.
When your information is compromised, everyone loses — except the thief.
Alexandra Monroe is a staff writer at Savinly. She prefers viewing life from the tip of the iceberg.
Also learn more about changes in taxation that affect online sellers at online sales tax legisltion.
