You may think that as long as you keep them safe and safe, your physical passport, boarding pass, and ID cards are protected from theft. But it is not necessary that the matter be there. If those documents are stored in scans or clouds, they are unsafe like other types of files.
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A New report from Nordvpn Describes how your travel documents can be accessed and exploited and what you can do to save them better.
How to end your travel documents for sale on dark web
Based on a joint project between Nordvpn and International ESIM provider SAILY, the report highlighted the following methods that your passport and other travel documents could be terminated for sale on the dark web.
- InformationAre electronic copies of your sensitive travel documents stored or sync on your mobile device? If so, hackers can deploy the malware designed to steal those files.
- Compromise travel siteAirlines and travel agencies often scan your passports and other files to electronically stored. A criminal who hacks in a weak server or website can access those scans and hack them on the dark web.
- FraudCriminals can also install Phone websites that look like a valid airline check-in pages. Using the right fishing techniques, they can cheat you in providing you personal information and uploading your travel documents.
- Unsafe cloud storageDo you ever save your travel documents in cloud for convenience? If access is not safe or file permissions are very loose, then those documents are easily accessible. In the report, NordVPN cited a trick, named Google Dorking In which criminals use advanced search questions to track exposed files.
- Physical theftPeople can lose their physical passport and ID card or inappropriately leave their unused boarding pass. In that event, a criminal who finds documents can scan them and keep them for sale on the dark web.
How much resale value is made in the stolen travel documents?
It depends on the document itself.
According to NordVPN, travel documents are prized by cyber criminal for several reasons. Files usually charge a good price on the dark web. They are simple enough to use and require little verification. Above all, they include personal information. Criminals can use fraud and identity.
Scanned passport paintings usually sell $ 10 to $ 200 anywhere. The scanned ID goes for about $ 15. Those figures do not seem much, but prices climb from there.
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Actual passports, driver’s licenses, IDs, and permits usually sell at a high end of $ 1,800 at a low end of $ 20. Passports for European Union citizens are particularly expensive, going as € 5,500 (currently more than $ 6,300). By adding other family members to the package, buyers can get a discount of 25%.
Airline loyalty accounts with high-college balance can range from $ 35 to $ 700. As an example cited by NordVPN, accounts with 1 to 5 million miles will receive the top value of $ 700.
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Want to know how to hack in the airline and hotel booking system? The instructions known as “Flight and Hotel Cracking and Booking Manual” can go from $ 150 to $ 250 on manual dark web.
Even reservations made through sites like Booking.com are popular items. Here, criminals will re-waste the pre-book visits on these platforms at a discount of 40% to 50% from the original value, usually about $ 250 for each deal.
How to save yourself
Now when you know how to exploit cyber criminal travel documents, how do you protect yourself? There are six tips from Nordavapan.
- Secure your sensitive travel filesIf you want to give your travel documents online, make sure you use encrypted storage or a private chest. In addition, be sure to disable any sharing options for files so that they remain private.
- Watch out for fishing scamCheck any travel-related email or web page that asks for your personal data. Use a link checker to determine whether a link is valid or malicious. Fire a browser and search for “link checker” to find such services.
- Protect your equipmentEnsure that you are using reliable security software to protect your equipment from agreement. In addition, be sure to keep your operating system and apps updated with the latest security reforms.
- Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi networkNeed to check on your journey or reach your travel documents in airport or any other public place? Use a VPN to encryp and secure your connection.
- Monitor your accountsExamine your loyal accounts and financial statements for any unusual activity from time to time. If you do something, contact the provider and close the affected account.
- Report lost or stolen documentsIf you ever lose your passport, ID, or other important documents, report it to the provider immediately before accessing and exploiting a criminal.
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