Details of a million people across Yorkshire for sale on '˜dark web'

Cyber hackers could be trading the details of nearly a million people in Yorkshire in a bid to extort them for cash and goods, research from a specialist data firm has found.

Across Yorkshire, the personal data of 942,609 people is listed for sale on an underground marketplace, with the highest number being in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham.

The illicitly obtained data – from email addresses and pictures, passport numbers and credit card details – is listed for sale on the “dark web”, encrypted areas of the internet hidden from ordinary search engines.

Detective Chief Inspector Vanessa Smith, who leads the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Cyber Crime Unit, said that criminals typically target “the low-hanging fruit” – people who have low levels of cyber security.

She said people can be too relaxed about their personal details online, leaving them open to identity theft by doing things like using public wifi when accessing their bank account details.

“On the dark web, there is information for sale all the time to the cyber criminal. They can sell that and use your data in a multitude of ways. They would rather steal your data than £5,000 in cash because it is worth more.”

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