15 BILLION Account Credentials for Sale

Research from Digital Shadows suggests that the average person has 191 different user accounts and that there is an estimated that 15 billion account credentials are up for sale on the internet! That’s a lot of accounts to focus on protecting online profiles for! These accounts allow cyber-criminals many different opportunities to hack credentials and sell them on the internet.

An Estimated 191 User Profiles are Registered Under an Individuals’ Name

While it might be surprising to think that at any given moment an individual could have 191 accounts under their name, think of all the accounts individuals obtain ranging from social media, to banking, to insurance, to retail shopping accounts, to everyday living accounts (internet, electric, etc.). Add these known accounts with profiles that one may have forgotten about and the numbers quickly start to add up. Small business owners may even be more susceptible to their credentials being sold online because they may have the addition of their small business profiles under their name.

How to Protect Your Online Personal and Business Profiles

This realistic viewpoint can be very intimidating. How can you keep all your accounts organized to protect yourself and your small business? Follow the tips below can help you keep your account credentials out of hackers hands: 

SBBT's 5 Tips to Protecting Your Online Profiles
SBBT’s 5 Tips to Protecting Your Online Profiles

Tip 1: Use a Password Manager

These allow for unique passwords for each user account and can create passwords for you. Some potential password managers that we suggest are: 

Tip 2: Use Passphrases

Passphrases tend to be longer than passwords and also easier for you to remember, Cybersecurityisveryimportant247! could be a good passphrase.

Tip 3: Delete Unused Accounts

If you no longer need an account or the information associated with it, minimize your risk of exposure by removing the account. 

Tip 4: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication

This allows an extra layer of security to access your accounts.

Tip 5: Look for Suspicious Activity with Your Accounts

This can be anything from new device logins, new location logins, changed passwords, missing data, and any other activity you did not do.

Additional Resources

Download a shareable .pdf of this information to share with your business’ employees.

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