❗Help close the gap: We still need to raise $40,000 by the end of March. Donate now

The value of hacked data

Adam Allington Feb 5, 2015
HTML EMBED:
COPY

The value of hacked data

Adam Allington Feb 5, 2015
HTML EMBED:
COPY

The biggest U.S. health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, revealed Thursday that hackers obtained data on up to 80 million current and former customers. The compromised information includes Social Security numbers, email addresses and birthdates as well as such employee data as income.

Given the steady stream of data hacks – whether it’s Target, Home Depot or Anthem – how much is all this data worth?

Unlike previous high-profile hacks, the Anthem hackers did not take credit card numbers. But personal data, like Social Security numbers, can be even more valuable on the so-called “Dark Web,” the invisible part of the Internet you can’t find on Google.

 

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.