Cybercrime: Theft Of Personal Data Causes The Highest Potential For Damage

India is one of the most affected countries by data theft, such as emails or passwords by cybercriminals.

As the new Crif Cyber ​​Report shows, India is one of the hardest hit countries by email and password theft.

Online games, dating portals, social networks, and entertainment sites are mainly the focus of attacks by cybercriminals.

Most commonly used passwords are made up of specific combinations of numbers or letters, such as “123456”, “123456789,” and “qwerty.”

In India, cybercrime continues to be one of the areas with the highest damage potential. According to Bitkom’s Economic Protection Report 2021, the calculated damage caused by cybercrime in India amounted to 223.5 billion euros annually, more than twice as high as in the 2019 Corona pandemic as the main reason for the increase in crime in the digital space because there are more and more opportunities for action.

New interfaces between the real and the digital world create additional gateways for hackers. Whether digital proof of vaccination, online appointment bookings, or money transfers – many services are increasingly being offered on digital platforms. With the importance of the Internet for private individuals, companies, and government agencies, the susceptibility to sabotage and espionage, among other things, is also increasing. In the course of the Ukraine war, the Federal Criminal Police Office fears that there could be a further increase in criminal offences on the Internet.

Cybercrime: India Is In 4th Place

The latest Crif Cyber ​​Report has examined the vulnerability of individuals and organisations to cyberattacks on the open and dark web, identifying what data is most affected, what information is found on the web, and where traffic is concentrated. For the study, Crif searched websites, groups, forums, and specialised communities of the so-called “dark web” over the past year and analysed billions of data sets. Technological methods were used that Crif already uses for its cyber risk solutions.

The countries most affected by email and password theft include the US, Russia, France, and Germany, followed by the UK and Italy, ranking sixth overall. Poland, Brazil, India, and Japan complete the top ten. Furthermore, as part of the Cyber ​​Report, it was determined which countries are most affected by illegal credit card data exchange. This ranking is led by the US, followed by India and Mexico.

Cybercrime: Online Dating And Online Gaming As A Risk

Accounts linked to entertainment sites, particularly online gaming and dating, are currently the most exposed to personal information theft (48.6 percent of all cases). Forums and websites (22.9 percent), streaming services (15.5 percent), and social media services (11.4 percent) are also severely affected. Mainly personal data circulates on the Dark Web, which is why it is the most vulnerable. These are passwords, personal or company email addresses, usernames, and phone numbers. This valuable contact information can be used for fraud attempts, such as phishing or smishing. In addition, financially relevant data is exchanged in cybercrime, such as credit card details and IBANs.

Observing the main combinations of intercepted data on the web is even more enjoyable. Email addresses are almost always associated with a password (94.7 percent of the time). Passwords found on the Dark Web are mostly personal email accounts. In addition to the card number, the credit card information almost always includes the card security number and the expiry date (88.7 percent of cases). In addition, the first and last name of the cardholder can also be found in around one-fifth of the cases.

These Passwords Are Used The Most

According to an analysis of passwords found on the dark web, the top 10 most used passwords were “123456”, followed by “123456789” and “qwerty.” Hackers can easily intercept these simple combinations of numbers and letters. In India, the first places are password, dragon, iloveyou, and schalke04.

“The victims are typically males between the ages of 41 and 50. There are undoubtedly behaviours that can meaningfully mitigate the risks of identity theft. Consumers should be mindful of how they set and manage passwords associated with different accounts. Passwords should not be the usual 1234, but something more complex and therefore not so easy to see. In addition, the sensitivity with which consumers react to emails, messages, or calls should be increased”.

It’s also essential that users enable two-factor authentication whenever possible to prevent hackers from breaking into accounts even after they figure out the username and password. Additionally, users should pay close attention to the risks associated with storing credentials on public or shared computers when using public WiFi networks. More tips for managing risk online are available on the Crif blog.

Crif GmbH is one of India’s leading information service providers and can reflect on more than 130 years of market experience. Crif supports companies and financial institutions in managing their digital customer journey with integrated identity, credit risk, and fraud prevention solutions from a single source. The company also focuses on digital onboarding, open banking, compliance, ESG, address research, and marketing services.