Recent findings from the information security firm Angara Security reveal a troubling trend in the Russian darknet: the price of biometric data belonging to Russian citizens has risen from 6,000 to 10,000 rubles. The shifts were reported by the newspaper News, which highlights how attackers value sensitive biometric identifiers more than before.
Alongside biometric prices, the market for mobile service manipulation shows higher costs. The service to reactivate an existing SIM card has climbed by about a quarter, reaching 25,000 rubles. Additionally, the price for decrypting call records that reveal the full details of a conversation has doubled, reflecting increased demand for access to wiretapped or intercepted communications.
This development comes after earlier disclosures about Russia retaining a notable share in a global ranking of countries with the most announcements about sales of corporate databases on shadow forums, based on data covering the first half of 2024. The Russian share was around 10%, with the United States, India, China, and Indonesia following at various levels. Analysts note that these databases often contain not only trade secrets but also extensive personal data tied to online accounts, creating a broad risk landscape for both individuals and organizations.
Experts have also pointed to differences in how Russian-speaking and English-speaking hacker communities operate. Observers suggest that language and regional factors influence tactics, targets, and the overall approach to information theft in this evolving cybercrime ecosystem. The broader takeaway is a rising market for stolen biometric and communications data, underscoring the importance of robust protection for personal information and critical telecom assets.