Hackers are selling 36 million stolen accounts on the dark web... is yours one of them?

The dark web sells 36 million hacked accounts, targeting children Cybercrime is reaching unprecedented heights this year, exploiting the vulnerability of children.

Cybercrime is a constantly expanding field, with our daily lives revolving more and more around our internet-connected devices. This is how Kaspersky, the cybersecurity company, has observed a spectacular increase in stolen accounts and various credentials over the past 3 years.

Accounts sold to the highest bidders Here on Press-Citron, we keep repeating it, but it is now crucial to make your passwords as complicated as possible, otherwise your accounts (and their contents, especially your bank accounts) may be sold to the highest bidders on the dark web. According to Kaspersky, no less than 36 million accounts are sold to the highest bidders. Among these are many accounts linked to AI such as ChatGPT, given that the domain is particularly popular at the moment. Thus, 688,000 OpenIA login details are currently for sale, as well as 1,160,000 Canva accounts. Data retrieved by Kaspersky shows that malware, malicious software, is used to exploit vulnerabilities and retrieve money by any means.

The cybersecurity giant's new report highlights the fact that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting children. Indeed, they represent an easy and vulnerable target from which it is easy to obtain information. Easily tempted by tricks that promise them free in-game currency or ways to cheat, hackers take advantage of this vulnerability to embed infostealers in such files.

According to Kaspersky, 15,500,000 Roblox accounts were therefore sold on the dark web in 2023, three times more than in 2021. It is therefore even more important today to educate anyone who might fall into this kind of trap about cybersecurity. A good start would already be to download the Dashlane password manager here, which will allow you to get extremely complicated passwords for each of your accounts with ease.

There are several other ways to protect yourself against the threat of hacked accounts being sold on the dark web, it's crucial to prioritize cybersecurity measures. Start by using strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts and consider employing a reputable password manager to generate and store them securely. Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible to add an extra layer of security. Stay vigilant against phishing attempts and suspicious links, especially those targeting children with promises of free in-game currency or cheats. Be careful !