What happens to your personal information that is compromised in a data breach? That is the question a lot of us are asking right now after the massive data breach that occurred at Target. Of course, Target is not the only retailer to have been hit by one of the most prevalent crimes of the new economy. Just this year, Mapco customers were also the victims of a data breach.
We know that our banks have to reissue our cards, reimburse us for cash that was illegally debited out of our bank accounts, and that we have to monitor our credit files for unauthorized credit-line openings in our names.
But what are the thieves doing with our personal information? The answer to that question is astonishing. There is a criminal underground economy with websites and chat rooms dedicated to data breaches. Data breach thieves have websites devoted solely to the trafficking of our personal information. These auction sites mirror legitimate consumer websites like ebay or amazon. For a thorough and articulate expose on this underground culture, click on the link below.
