Figures reveal that around 12 million pieces of personal information harvested from unprotected machines and internet connections were sold on the black market in the first three months of 2012, dwarfing the total of 9.5 million for the whole of 2010. The research, conducted by credit checking service Experian, cites the rising number of online accounts held by consumers coupled with lax online security as key reasons for the increase.

The vast majority of data sold consists of login account names and password combinations, initially stolen either from an individual’s machine over an unsecured wireless connection or from websites. These login details were then used to access the accounts of users who use the same password for several websites.

The news follows several revelations of password theft by major online companies, including professional social network LinkedIn and email provider Yahoo, who have failed to keep their users’ data secure. Britons currently have an average of 26 individual online accounts, but only use an average of five different passwords to access them all, making the potential impact of a security breach far wider than it needs to be.

While you can’t do much to protect yourself from website security breaches, you can make sure that your connections to sites are secure by using a VPN service. The use of simple and affordable technologies such as a decent VPN can help to cut the amount of data stolen by hackers, keeping your personal information secure even when using unsecured wireless connections. Using a VPN service to guarantee a secure connection can go a long way to making your online activity safer, although users are also encouraged to vary their passwords as much as possible, so that hackers will only have access to limited data if one password is hacked or bought online.

Online security is fast becoming more and more important for the new tech-savvy generation who are more comfortable using free wireless hotspots, which can leave their machines vulnerable to attacks by criminals looking to sell their data to the highest bidder. Using a reliable VPN service can keep your data secure while you surf at your leisure.

Understandably, there is growing public concern about the continuing rise in cybercrime. The most recent statistics suggest that low-level hackers are becoming more successful, as identity theft has risen sharply in the past five years. However, the growing availability of personal online security software could spell defeat for the hackers. For example, employing a virtual private network (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/free-vpn-for-chrome-vpn-p/majdfhpaihoncoakbjgbdhglocklcgno) allows users to connect to public hotspots while remaining completely hidden from prying eyes. Basic personal security measures such as a VPN and a decent firewall programme are fairly low-cost, and there are several trustworthy providers to the UK market.

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