15 billion credentials from 100,000 data breaches sold on dark web

15 billion credentials from 100,000 data breaches sold on dark web

The report was compiled after gathering advertisements from different dark web marketplaces in the last 2.5 years.


It is a fact that fraud and hacking guides are the most sold item on the dark web but now the IT security researchers from Digital Shadows have published the findings of their recent study in a white paper titled “From Exposure to Takeover: The 15 billion stolen credentials allowing account takeover.”


The report reveals startling details of the extent to which sensitive banking and social media credentials are selling on the Dark Web nowadays.


According to the report [PDF], over 15 billion usernames and passwords belonging to online digital services such as social media accounts, and banks are selling openly on the underground internet marketplace. These records come from 100,000 data breaches.


Digital Shadows thoroughly audited shady marketplaces for over 18 months and identified that this number is three times higher than the number of credentials cybercriminals owned about two years back.

The stolen usernames/passwords exchange had increased 300% since the firm’s previous audit in 2018. The number is equivalent to over two compromised accounts for every single person in the world.



The company claim that five billion credentials, a quarter of which comprises of financial and banking accounts, are identified to be unique as these haven’t been advertised more than onc ..

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