Still, because users are anonymous, the dark web is also used as an online black market by criminals for illegal activities like selling stolen information. It’s important to note that freezing your credit prevents anyone—including you—from opening new accounts. If you decide to freeze your credit, make sure you understand the process to unfreeze it, so you can access your credit, when necessary, like when you need to buy a new car. Today, anyone can become the victim of a data breach, but there are ways we can all work toward prevention and mitigation of the damage should one occur close to home. Learning how to protect your personally identifiable information and signing up for ID theft protection goes a long way in keeping your SSN from becoming another dark web statistic.
Your SSN costs less than a Starbucks coffee on the dark web
If you need to keep your social security number accessible or store digital copies of other personal identification, then a password manager will help you keep these secure. Have I Been Pwned has a notification feature to alert you if your details are found in a new breach and can even check whether you’re using a compromised password. Google News alerts can also be set up to inform you of breaches involving businesses you use, like your bank or ISP. Some credit monitoring services, such as Experian and Capital One, have dark web scanning tools which explicitly search for your SSN.
In today’s digital age, the security of our personal information is more important than ever. With the rise of cybercrime and data breaches, it is crucial to protect sensitive data such as your social security number. One of the places where this information can be at risk is the dark web.
Earn a $100 Statement Credit
What is the Dark Web?
“With Marriott and the other hotel breaches, all of those credit cards got revoked and re-issued,” points out Henderson. “Shoulder Surfing” remains the most frequent (also “traditional”) way of stealing someone’s identity. By using old-fashioned peeking or spying when someone uses an ATM or any cash-dispensing machine to carry a financial transaction, the thief finds out the credit card or account number, PIN, or password. When you freeze your account, Discover will not authorize new purchases, cash advances or balance transfers.
How To Remove Dota 2 From Steam Account
If you have not lost the card itself, but someone steals and uses your account number, you generally have no liability for unauthorized use. But you still want to take action and contact your issuer immediately. “People have a heightened awareness because of all these problems,” Grant said. “That would be a very compelling reason to sign up,” said Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy for the Consumer Federation of America. With the digitalization of the economy comes a destructive wave of digital crimes. When most of the world is digitalized, individuals need to take even more precaution when sharing information online.
The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines. It is often associated with illegal activities and is a hub for buying and selling illicit goods and services. This includes stolen personal information, such as social security numbers.
How to Lock Your Social Security Number
How Your Social Security Number Ends Up on the Dark Web
The dark web is a small part of the web where anonymity is prized and nefarious activities can run amok. Like two people meeting in a dark alley to exchange cash for illegal goods, cybercriminals can meet anonymously on the dark web to buy and sell information illegally, too. The dark web isn’t indexed by search engines either, but that’s because of the illegal and dangerous nature of its content. We’ve all heard stories and read headlines of the illicit activities that take place there. This is a place where you can buy everything from illegally harvested organs to hacked bank account information.
There are several ways in which your social security number can end up on the dark web. One common method is through data breaches. When a company’s database is compromised, hackers can steal sensitive information, including social security numbers, and sell them on the dark web to the highest bidder.
Protecting Your Social Security Number
- They can also offer further assistance, such as enabling two-factor authentication before they release your credit records.
- The Dark Web is a small part of the web that isn’t indexed, meaning that it can’t be accessed by normal search engines.
- So far they don’t have my identity but they have all the information to do it.
- However, if they back up their claims with a physical SSN card, it could be a different story.
- Consumers also willingly share them as part of phishing attacks and spoofed websites.
What can you do if someone steals your SSN?
It is essential to take steps to protect your social security number from ending up on the dark web. Here are some tips:
- Be cautious with who you share your social security number – Only provide it when absolutely necessary and to trusted sources.
- Monitor your credit report – Regularly check your credit report for any suspicious activity that could indicate your social security number has been compromised.
- Use strong, unique passwords – Use different passwords for each online account to prevent hackers from gaining access to multiple accounts if one is compromised.
- Consider freezing your credit – By placing a freeze on your credit, you can prevent new accounts from being opened in your name without your permission.
By taking these precautions, you can reduce the risk of your social security number ending up on the dark web and falling into the wrong hands.
