What is Dark Web Monitoring?
Dark web monitoring is the process of searching for and continuously tracking information on the dark web. The information can be about an organization, its users or malicious actors on the dark web
Dark web monitoring tools offer enhanced detection capabilities against threats on the dark web compared to identity theft monitoring tools or antimalware and antivirus programs. While identity theft monitoring tools are primarily designed to protect individuals, dark web monitoring tools are tailored to safeguard businesses. Antimalware and antivirus programs aim to prevent malicious code from executing in the first place, but they do not address issues after a breach has occurred.
Dark web monitoring tools, on the other hand, assist both businesses and individuals by searching for any confidential information on the dark web, including login credentials, trade secrets, and proprietary information.
Why is dark web monitoring important?
Dark web monitoring is important to both organizations and individuals for threat prevention and cybersecurity. Individuals can use dark web monitoring services to see if personal data such as social security numbers, login credentials or credit card numbers appear in illicit dark web marketplaces. Often, hackers gather personal or other sensitive information and sell it in bulk on the dark web, where it could be used for identity theft, phishing campaigns, ransomware or other exploits. These techniques are also used to retrieve personal data and post it on the dark web.
Businesses can use dark web monitoring to stay afoot of corporate data breaches that threaten to expose intellectual property or customer data to illicit marketplaces. Companies face reputation damage or compliance penalties if they fail to protect customer data.
Dark web monitoring can also be used to track the exchange of malware and attacker behavior, which can be useful in developing preventative cybersecurity strategies and faster incident response.
How Does Dark Web Monitoring Work?
Dark web monitoring continuously searches the dark web and pulls in raw intelligence in near real time. Millions of sites are monitored for specific information (e.g., corporate email addresses), or general information (e.g., the company name and industry).
When a threat is discovered, users can create a customized alert that notifies team members and anyone else in the organization who is relevant to the threat, such as marketing, legal, human resources or fraud teams.
There are hundreds of data types that can be leaked on the dark web. Some of the more relevant ones include the following:
- Personally identifiable information (PII). This can include full names, social security numbers and home addresses.
- Financial information. This can include credit card numbers, transaction histories and PIN codes.
- Medical information. This can include medical records, prescription details or health insurance IDs.
- Credentials. This can include API keys, security questions and answers, usernames and passwords.
- Business data. This can include trade secrets, intellectual property and employee records.
- Educational data. This can include financial aid information, admission records and transcripts.
- Communication. This can include call and chat histories and business emails
Why Use Dark Web Monitoring?
Compromised credentials are not the only thing that businesses need to worry about on the dark web. Chatter and activity on the dark web can tip off a business that it is under attack, has already been attacked, or is associated with some other activity that poses a threat to the business, such as a breach at one of its supply chain partners. As part of an overall security strategy, dark web monitoring is akin to sending a canary into a coal mine.
In addition to scanning for data breach information, a dark web monitoring service can be used to classify risks from unknown sources. Businesses that receive alerts when their data appears on the dark web can connect those mentions to other threat sources, and use that information to profile and mitigate threats faster.
The types of risks that can be exposed through a dark web monitor include:
- Third-party breaches
- Data dumps to hacking forums and criminal chatrooms
- P2P leaks
- Accidental leaks
- Brand misuse
- Impersonations
- Domain Spoofing
- Potential threats
How Does Personal Information Get On the Dark Web?
Cybercriminals sell personal information, credentials or asset access on the dark web. According to CrowdStrike’s Global Threat Report, adversaries continue to show that they have moved beyond malware. Attackers are increasingly attempting to accomplish their objectives using stolen credentials and built-in tools — an approach known as “living off the land” (LOTL) — in a deliberate effort to evade detection by legacy antivirus products. Of all detections indexed by CrowdStrike Security Cloud in the fourth quarter of 2021, 62% were malware-free.
Malicious users steal personal information using one or a combination of these common methods:
- Phishing: Cybercriminals send phishing emails that imitate legitimate email requests to attempt to gain confidential information.
- Malware, Loaders and Botnets: Hackers use different types of malicious software to steal confidential data and leak it out slowly.
- Insecure networks: Hackers can gain access to personal information when you’re connected to an insecure network and the cybercriminal is nearby.
- Vulnerabilities and exploits: Exploit kits can also be found on multiple forums. They target specific software or systems weaknesses (vulnerabilities) to install additional code and obtain access.
- Keylogging: Keystroke logging records the keys that you type, allowing cybercriminals to monitor your activity and retrieve personal information.
- Screen Scraping: Screen scraping copies the information shown on your screen.
What Does It Mean If Your Information Is On the Dark Web?
For consumers, the revelation that their information is available on the dark web usually means they should change all their passwords, keep an eye on their credit reports and consider replacing their credit cards. After years of huge data breaches where up to 148 million records have been stolen in a single breach, everybody’s personal information, or at least some of it, has been for sale for a while – even if an identity theft victim is only just hearing about it now. While consumers should take the protective measures mentioned below, they shouldn’t panic.
Businesses need to respond much more aggressively. They are the guardians of their customers’ data and if they expose those customers to risk, they have failed. Litigation, lost brand reputation, regulatory penalties and auditing costs may be at stake. The risk of future attacks also increases as stolen logins are used in credential stuffing or other attacks.
If you receive an alert that your information is on the dark web, it means that your identity, data or asset is at risk. The types of personal information that are at risk on the dark web are credentials and personal identifiers that can be used for identity fraud or illegal access. You want to take action right away to prevent cybercriminals from further exploiting this stolen data.
How to Protect Youselft on the Dark Web
To help protect yourself from hidden threats on the dark web, consider using a tool to keep private information secure and prevent identity theft. in the page When access to the dark web,5 things you should know, We introduced 5 things are sample best practices to protect against and monitor for dark web threats