New research showed the dark truth within the dark web, detailing the number of stolen account logins from cybercriminals. The research team from Digital Shadows Photon Research spearheaded the project that went on for more than a year or 18 months, the Daily Mail Online reported.

In these months, they found out that there are billions of stolen logins from approximately a hundred thousand breaches. The number is 15 billion. 

Into the Dark Web

The number of stolen logins has increased by 300 percent since 2018. More than about 15 billion are circulating on the Internet, including 100,000 data breaches that cybercriminals have committed. From these figures, there are five billion tagged to be "unique" or those without repeated credential pairs.

Also Read: How Hackers Used 'Forged Cookies' To Access Yahoo Accounts: No Password Needed [Analysis]

The report, called From Exposure To Takeover concluded that there is currently a "treasure trove of account details" that these cybercriminals are selling, but since these are a common thoroughfare, what staggered these researchers are the billions of stolen data on social media, online banking, and music streaming platforms. 

These are equal to about two sets of account logins for men, women, and children on Earth. 

Unique data

However, though there is duplication in these login credentials, translating this to the market, it is similar to fake goods, there are about five billion log-in details said to be unique. In definition, this means that they have only been promoted once in the cybercrime marketplaces and forums. 

The researchers pointed out there are elements of commercial trading of these goods. However, many of them are still given for free, without requiring the demand to pay.

How much do they cost? Though the average prices of these illegally-traded log-in credentials are at $15, the more valuable info such as bank account logins, required a premium account. These are amounting to $71 each, with quite others at $500 depending on the funds available with regards to the alleged theft. 

Anti-virus logins

Aside from bank logins, the second biggest traded log-ins are anti-virus usernames and passwords, which amount to around $21.67 on average. The rest are at less than $10. These include logins in sensitive websites, social media accounts, file sharing networks, and more. 

There has also been an inflation in the price, mind you. When it comes to the domain admin accounts that business networks are usually either demanding or competing against, they are also sold in the market, pricing at around $120,000 in total. 

Also Read: The Importance Of A Timely Data Breach Response

This challenges Internet security to remain tough and stronger against these cybercriminals. For instance, the use of two-factor authentication must be implemented. The last thing you want to happen is having these individuals encroaching on your data and privacy. 

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