Tech Talk: What Happens After a Breach? The Economy of Data on the Dark Web

Drew Williams from CyberCX will share a fresh perspective at how organisations can use Dark Web intelligence to strengthen their defences.

Learn how understanding how stolen credentials, personal details, and even overshared social media content are weaponised, individuals as well as businesses can take a proactive position in reducing risk. 

Over the past 18 months, Australians have been bombarded with headlines about major breaches—from Optus to Medibank to Qantas. While the immediate impact of these incidents is clear, the story doesn’t end when the breach is disclosed. Behind the scenes, a vast underground marketplace thrives on trading, packaging, and exploiting stolen data. This presentation explores what happens to personal and organisational information once it leaves the confines of legitimate systems and enters the Dark Web economy.

The discussion will also highlight how the blending of breached data with open-source information enables attackers to build highly personalised profiles. Unlike opportunistic scams, these targeted attacks are carefully crafted to exploit trust, context, and vulnerability. The rise of personalised phishing emails, scam calls, and social media outreach underscores the importance of understanding this evolving threat landscape.

Key takeaways for the audience will include practical steps individuals and organisations can adopt immediately:

  • Be mindful of the personal and professional data shared online.
  • Recognise that exposure from a known breach increases the likelihood of targeted scams.
  • Avoid password reuse across accounts and consider using a password manager for rapid resets.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible to add resilience.
  • Report suspicious activity or potential breaches promptly to protect workplace systems.

Ultimately, the aim of this session is to cut through "breach fatigue" by reframing a familiar topic through a different lens—shifting the conversation from passive concern to proactive action.

Event details

Date: Thursday 23 October 2025

Time: 1–2pm

Location:

  • In-person – Building 12, Level 13, Room 2, RMIT Melbourne City Campus. 402 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3000
  • Online – via Microsoft Teams 
Register now

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