Your personal data is available on the bot market for just Rs 490: NordVPN
Data is considered to be the new gold. Everyone wants data and you are ready to share your own. According to an estimate by NordVPN, at least 5 million people’s data has been stolen and sold on the bot market for a nominal price.
While we usually associate the word bot with an autonomous program that is usually designed to repeat a set of instructions. In this case, the data harvesting malware is considered a bot, where the bot market refers to a place that hackers use to sell the hacked data.
In most cases, the data includes personal information such as logins, cookies, digital fingerprints and screenshots. What is shocking to know is the fact that India tops the chart with over 600 million user data being made available on the bot market at an average price of Rs 490 per user data.
According to Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN, “A simple password is no longer worth money to criminals, when they can buy logins, cookies and digital fingerprints with one click for just 490 rupees.” He also said “Some tactics are even simpler. For example, a hacker can take control of a victim’s Steam account by changing the password. Steam accounts sell for up to $6,000 per account and can be easy money for a criminal.“
What information can be bought on the bot market?
One can get details like a screenshot of a device and there is also malware that can even take selfies using the phone’s front camera. Similarly, these bots also steal login information. According to NordVPN’s research, there were more than 26.6 million stolen logins in the bot market which include Google, Microsoft and Facebook login details.
These bots also steal cookies and digital fingerprints to understand user behavior, and they may even have critical details from autofill forms. This stolen data can then be used by cybercriminals to share malicious links and even solicit money from your friends on social media platforms.
How to stay safe from robots and computer hackers?
NordVPN recommends users use an antivirus at all times. Likewise, it also recommends using password managers and file encryption tools that prevent hackers from stealing personal data if they managed to get hold of your smartphone or computer.
In addition to these precautions, never click on a link from an unknown source. Do not sideload apps and games downloaded from torrent or third-party platforms, and do not connect your device to a public Wi-Fi network.
