Passwords found on the dark web

As a tool for accessing online accounts, passwords can often be a key target for cybercriminals. As such, when a data breach or cyberattack occurs, passwords can be among the most valuable information for the hackers to get hold of in the incident. In the aftermath of incidents like these, passwords found on the dark web can be a sign of the scale of the data theft, and the security threat to the affected victims.

Security researchers are often searching the dark web for indications of consumer data theft, and there have been a number of alarming news stories in recent years detailing how much personal information may be circulating on the dark web. The sharing, sale and purchasing of data is a highly worrying prospect, particularly for those who know that their information has been exposed.

When a third-party company fails to protect your personal data, this can make it vulnerable to misuse by cybercriminals. Nobody should be put in these dangerous situations, which is why data breach victims can be entitled to claim compensation for the harm caused on a No Win, No Fee basis with us.

What can cause passwords to be exposed?

There are many illicit means by which cybercriminals can steal passwords, including different hacking techniques. Some examples include credential stuffing and brute force attacks, which both involving the use of programs that can repeatedly enter different login credentials until one sticks and breaches the account. Victims could also be tricked into handing over passwords through phishing scams, in which criminals send fraudulent emails to their victims whilst pretending to be a reputable organisation and leading them to real-looking scam sites.

Data breaches can also involve actual password exposure. The Equifax data breach, for which we are representing claimants, exposed some customers’ passwords, among other private information, after a cybersecurity vulnerability allowed hackers into the company’s systems. In some cases, passwords found on the dark web can be linked directly to data breaches that have taken place over many years.

Reports of passwords found on the dark web

Security researchers are often monitoring dark web activity to find evidence of exposed data. Sometimes, the reports can be shocking. Recently, some research by cybersecurity experts reportedly revealed that over 15 billion passwords that had been stolen were circulating on cybercriminals’ sites and forums.

Passwords found on the dark web have been reportedly gathered from leaks at companies in all sorts and forms, and it can mean that each and every one of us could be a vulnerable target.

Claiming compensation for a data breach

No one wants their credentials to be among the passwords found on the dark web, but this can be the unfortunate result of many data breaches. If you have had your information exposed to misuse as a result of a data breach, you may be entitled to claim compensation for any harm caused.

We have years of experience in privacy matters, and our specialist knowledge of data breach claims has led to our involvement in a number of high-profile group actions. To receive free, no-obligation advice from our expert team, contact us today or register your details for a call-back. We may be able to represent you for a legal case on a No Win, No Fee basis.