How illicit markets fueled by data breaches sell your personal information to criminals

Every piece of personal data about you has inherent value. As long as there are customers clamoring for that data, breaches are likely to continue.

Thomas Holt, Professor of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University • conversation
June 5, 2025 ~9 min

Is someone using your pictures to catfish? Your rights when it comes to fake profiles and social media stalking

Depending on what the fake account is doing, the law may not be on your side.

Aislinn O'Connell, Senior Lecturer in Law, Royal Holloway University of London • conversation
Oct. 17, 2023 ~7 min


To steal today's computerized cars, thieves go high-tech

Thieves are trading their pry bars for laptops and wireless devices to steal cars that nowadays rely on remotes and computer networks.

Doug Jacobson, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University • conversation
Aug. 14, 2023 ~7 min

The new technology that is making cars easier for criminals to steal, or crash

The connected vehicles of the future could make our cars and data more vulnerable to theft and malicious attack.

Rachael Medhurst, Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security NCSA, University of South Wales • conversation
Aug. 9, 2023 ~7 min

Car thieves are using increasingly sophisticated methods, and most new vehicles are vulnerable

The new techniques go far beyond hacking your car’s key fob system.

Omair Uthmani, Lecturer in Networking and Security, Glasgow Caledonian University • conversation
June 2, 2023 ~6 min

Should you pay for Meta's and Twitter’s verified identity subscriptions? A social media researcher explains how the choice you face affects everyone else

Twitter and Meta are looking to make money from protecting users’ identities. This raises questions about collective security, people understanding what they’re paying for and who remains vulnerable.

Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University • conversation
March 8, 2023 ~8 min

Darknet markets generate millions in revenue selling stolen personal data, supply chain study finds

The hacker who steals your data is just one part of an illicit supply chain featuring producers, wholesalers, distributors and consumers – a black-market industry worth millions of dollars.

David Maimon, Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University • conversation
Dec. 2, 2022 ~7 min

Government agencies are tapping a facial recognition company to prove you're you – here's why that raises concerns about privacy, accuracy and fairness

Federal and state governments are turning to a facial recognition company to ensure that people accessing services are who they say they are. The move promises to cut down on fraud, but at what cost?

James Hendler, Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • conversation
Feb. 1, 2022 ~10 min


How cybercriminals turn paper checks stolen from mailboxes into bitcoin

A cybersecurity research group has been tracking a significant rise in the number of stolen checks being sold on sites like WhatsApp and Telegram, which often results in stolen identities.

David Maimon, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University • conversation
Jan. 5, 2022 ~10 min

Ransomware, data breach, cyberattack: What do they have to do with your personal information, and how worried should you be?

If an organization that has your data gets hacked, your vulnerability depends on the kind of attack and the kind of data. Here's how you can assess your risk and what to do to protect yourself.

Merrill Warkentin, James J. Rouse Endowed Professor of Information Systems, Mississippi State University • conversation
June 24, 2021 ~7 min

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