In Web’s dark corner, your profile is on sale for just a few bucks

BENGALURU: Somewhere, in the dark corner of the World Wide Web, your profile may be up for sale. And not just hackers and crooks, even companies and market researchers may be buying this data. The cost of a set of such data? As little as Rs 140 a day.

The dark web, as it is called, is not accessible through regular browsers. Only tools like Tor, an open source software that allows anonymous communication, allow access to the dark web. And in this hidden part of the web, hackers are putting together internet user details that include passwords, telephone numbers and email IDs.

Among those looking for such data are outfits planning cyberattacks, those keen to track consumer behaviour and those who simply want to get free access to video streaming sites that you have paid for, say experts.