France, most affected country in Europe for bank card theft on the dark web

France is the European country most affected by the illegal sale of bank card data on the dark web, according to a new analysis of four million stolen card data.

Virtual private network (VPN) specialist NordVPN analyzed the transactions and found France to be the country most affected by criminal activity.

A VPN allows Internet users to hide their network details to hide the location of their computer and improve the privacy of their Internet browsing. It can be used to increase your web security, for example when checking bank details or using cards online.

The “dark web” is a section of the Internet that does not appear on search engines and requires a different type of browser (such as Tor) to access it. Although it can be used as a benign means to access the internet anonymously, it is notoriously used by criminals for underground activities such as the sale of drugs, weapons and data.

Of the four million bank cards discovered by NordVPN specialists, more than 150,000 belonged to French people. This makes it the European country of the study most affected by activity, ahead of the United Kingdom and Germany.

Read more: Banque de France warns the public against bank fraud

Cyber ​​security expert Nicholas Arpagian told FranceInfo: “It’s a kind of black market on an international scale. [Users] can quickly benefit from the exploitation of this data. Why?

“Because they can get the money in a very short time and quickly transfer it to a safe place. It is therefore monetizable within an extremely short period of time. “

The average cost of credit card details in France is € 15, according to the study. The most expensive are those from Hong Kong or the Philippines.

For the estimated four million stolen bank cards, the study found that criminals can earn up to 40 million euros from the resale of this data (on average 10 euros per card).

Mr. Arpagian continued, “Hackers know how to exploit this data. In addition, it can be geolocated, for example, so that maps of a particular country or geographical area have even more value, and that is why they are so sought after by hackers. ”

How to prevent card data theft

Damien Bancal, journalist specializing in cybersecurity, advised: “You must check your accounts regularly, and take at least five minutes [to check some website details].

“Just like when you are in front of a physical window, you look at the prices, you feel the material…

“So on the internet you have to consider how long the site has existed, who is behind it, if it is known, if it has a physical address, if there is a telephone number, an after-sales service, or lots of positive comments. “

He also said:

• Beware of promotional prices “too good to be true”

• Verify the website payment page has a padlock symbol to the left of the browser bar

• Check that the URL of the page starts with ‘https’ rather than just ‘http’, as this provides additional security

• Check and change your passwords regularly

Users can also set up two-factor authentication, for example through a payment app, which means you need to enter a code sent to your mobile device in order to authorize a transaction.

He said many banks have “done a lot of work” to secure Internet transactions, but every consumer must also take responsibility to avoid “spreading their credit card information everywhere.”

It comes weeks after warnings about a scam in which fraudsters create fake websites that look like recognizable brands in an attempt to trick you into spending money.

Some sites also market themselves as “authorized resellers” of online giants like Amazon, and market themselves as sellers of “unsold products” on the site, at extremely low prices. This is usually a scam.

New authentication security measures

The new EU security standards aim to improve the security of online shopping. Under the European Payment Services Directive PSD2, banks and online merchants are now required to deploy a so-called “strong customer authentication” system for electronic payments or sensitive banking transactions.

This means that two out of three security measures will be required to make payments online using an app on a recognized smartphone.

Customers will receive an authentication notice, either by entering a unique personal identification code into a banking app or through biometric methods – such as fingerprint, facial recognition, or iris recognition – for them. appropriately equipped mobiles.

“For customers who do not have a smartphone, banks offer alternative solutions such as the use of a one-time SMS coupled with a password known to the customer, or the use of a dedicated physical device”, said the European banking federation.

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