If you haven’t had your credit card stolen in the past five years, consider yourself lucky: One in three Americans reported to have had their credit cards stolen in that timeframe. But few know how hackers do it — and even fewer know just how dangerous it can be when hackers get a hold of your credit cards, especially when they can sell your private information on the dark web.
Advertiser Content From
This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.
You need to be wary of your online shopping problem, and not for the reasons you think
How your credit cards end up on the dark web, explained.
Point-of-sale terminals are hotspots for hacking attempts for retailers, made even more risky when they run on old operating systems and peripheral devices with a vulnerable password. And eventually, that data can end up in the darkest corner of the web, where there are actual card shops for buyers to purchase your credit card.
It’s a lose-lose for both consumers and retailers: Consumers are (rightfully) frightened to shop at stores with breaches in security, and retailers lose their business. In one study, one-third of consumers said they wouldn’t shop at a retailer that had been hacked for more than three months. Some spooky stats? Fortunately, new cybersecurity solutions can protect businesses from the threats of hackers. That’s good news for everyone.