Identity-as-a-Service: Uncovering Dark Web Marketplaces Trading Executive SSNs
Brief
Introduction
Despite modern verification controls, identity theft remains one of the most pervasive threats to both individuals and enterprise organizations. U. S. Federal Trade Commission statistics show over 1 million identity theft reports annually, with related fraud and imposter scams accounting for billions in financial losses each year.
While stolen credit cards enable rapid, short-term monetization, Social Security numbers (SSNs) represent a far more permanent and dangerous tier within the cybercrime ecosystem, because unlike payment cards, they cannot simply be deactivated. Once exposed, an SSN can support enabling unauthorized lines of credit, synthetic identity fraud, and sophisticated tax scams.
When exposed identity data belongs to corporate executives, board members, and other high-profile employees, the risk can extend beyond the individual.