Although the report represents a significant 68 per cent decrease from the more than 14 million stolen cards detected in the last half of 2021, it shows that the security vulnerabilities that lead to stolen credit cards are not yet fixed.
While 45 per cent of the cards up for sale on underground markets were issued in the United States, Russian credit cards are much less common on the dark web, with only about 5,400 cards seen for sale in the first half of 2022.
Among the possible reasons why the U.S. is taking the largest share is the fact that it is home to more than 1 billion credit cards, and the slower decision to use EMV cards, an embedded security chip that protects consumers from theft and compromise.
Most of the stolen credit cards seen on the Dark Web during the first half of the year were issued by four major networks: 49 per cent came from Visa cards, 36 per cent from Mastercard, 13 per cent from American Express and 2.5 per cent from Discover.
To protect their credit cards from ending up on the dark web, users should follow some tips, including monitoring their bank accounts by scanning financial accounts for suspicious transactions and making sure they don’t respond directly to emails asking them to confirm an order or delivery.
Others include ending dependence on using the same passwords on different websites and services, watching out for coupons and promotions sent via text or email, and installing chip-enabled point-of-sale systems (for retailers).
The sources for this piece include an article in TechRepublic.