Dark web monitoring services are gaining popularity for both personal or business use. Due to the increasing cybersecurity threats, dark web monitoring is an essential element to ensure your data stays safe and secure.
As the cases of data breaches continue to rise, you might be wondering where all the information goes. Sadly, cybercriminals sell all stolen data on the dark web.
Today, cybercriminals are already targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which usually lack the resources to hire cybersecurity services to protect their network. If you want to ensure your company’s safety against cybersecurity threats, checking out cyber security solutions from reliable providers today is a good starting point.
What Is The Dark Web?
If you constantly surf the web, you might have encountered topics about the dark web. Before diving further into what the dark web is about, you need to know more about the web. The internet has a worldwide network of interconnecting devices and has three categories – surface web, deep web, and dark web.
- The surface web is what you’re using daily, with content indexed by major search engines such as Google Search and Bing.
- The deep web contains sensitive data such as phone numbers, email addresses, etc. The information is not indexed and not accessible by search engines.
- The dark web is a network comprising of anonymous websites and forums hidden in the deep web. Specialized hardware is necessary to access the dark web.
What Is Dark Web Monitoring?
One of the undesirable aspects of cybersecurity threats is the time it takes to detect them by security. Dark web monitoring can significantly lessen this period by alerting IT professionals of a possible hacking attack or data breach.
The task utilizes a combination of professionals and artificial intelligence to regularly monitor attempts to hack personal information that cybercriminals can exploit to steal your identity.
Depending on the specific services your provider offers, integrating dark web monitoring in the security scheme of your business can provide the following:
- Constant surveillance capabilities to ensure all data is safe
- Reducing the time it takes to detect a potential data breach when one occurs
- Shortening the time frame for cybercriminals to retrieve and sell your information on the dark web
- Lowering the risk of damages to the reputation and finances of your business.
The dark web hosts a variety of illegal activities, including gun sales, illegal gambling, and deals involving financial data. However, some legitimate sites, including forums, social media, and even political or company websites, also prefer the dark web’s privacy.
Sadly, continuous cases of cybersecurity threats are affecting businesses all over the globe. In most cases, stolen data are likely to end up on the dark web, which is why many companies are considering dark web monitoring services.
Advantages Of Dark Web Monitoring For Businesses
If your objective is to keep your business and data protected at all times, it might be time to consider getting a dark web monitoring service. If you’re still having doubts about integrating the service in your cybersecurity scheme, here are some of the benefits of dark web monitoring your business will gain.
1. Determine If A Data Breach Occurs
One of the primary purposes of dark web monitoring involves discovering if a compromise on your business occurs. IT professionals will regularly scan the dark web to look for stolen client data or lists, employee login details, and your business’s IP addresses.
When information about your business is present on the dark web, it indicates a breach has occurred or is currently in progress.
2. Determine The Current Level Of Risk
When your business data is readily accessible on the dark web, you know a compromise took place, but it’s crucial to understand how it happened in the first place.
An example is when a data breach occurs during a ransomware attack. Generally, a data breach can occur in various ways, such as human error, poor security policies, unsecured virtual private network (VPN) access, or abandoned accounts.
3. Create An Action Plan To Secure Data
When you have a dark web monitoring service, it can help identify a breach and determine the data type. The IT professionals can pinpoint the compromised systems, find the source, and fix vulnerable points. Once all the necessary safety and security measures are successful, work with your provider to create an action plan to prevent future breaches.
Final Thoughts
One of the ways to guarantee the safety of your business against cybersecurity threats is to take on a comprehensive approach to data protection along with dark web monitoring. By consolidating the most modern cybersecurity technology with a recovery strategy and security training for your employees, your business will stay safe from any data loss and disruptions.