The dark web is a small part of the deep web that is not accessible from regular browsers. One must use a special web browser such as Tor to access the dark web. Experts believe that the dark web is a shrouded portion of the internet, hidden from search engines. Browsers such as Tor masks IP addresses, allowing hackers and fraudsters to operate in stealth and commit cybercrimes, such as data theft.

So, what’s so scary about the dark web? Well, the dark web has tons of stolen personal information (including but not limited to social security number, email address, passport number, medical identification numbers, and bank account numbers), child pornography, illegal drugs, and other illicit goods and services on sale.

The hackers and fraudsters who gain access to these information gather payment in cryptocurrency and other methods that are not easy to trace. The anonymity of the dark web makes it challenging for law enforcement agencies to find and prosecute these people.

Here lies the importance of dark web monitoring!

In this blog, we’ve thrown light on what dark web monitoring is and why every business needs to integrate an efficient dark web monitoring system into the system.

So, let’s discuss!

What is Dark Web Monitoring?

Dark web monitoring, also known as cyber monitoring, is an identity theft protection product that monitors and identifies information on the dark web. The product also notifies the user if sensitive information are found online and are up for sale.

The best part about dark web monitoring is that it enables users to gain awareness and take actions deemed necessary if users are notified that sensitive information has been found on the dark web.

For instance, if any information pertaining to the business is found on the dark web, the IT team receives a notification citing the need to update the password to a new, unique, and complex one.

According to cybersecurity experts, anonymity is what makes the Dark Web so appealing to cybercriminals. In the Dark Web, hackers offer a range of services and information that might make your business vulnerable. This includes but is not limited to the following –

• Tools of the trade – Cybercriminals are often involved in buying and selling tools that aid hackers in a cyber attack. This includes renting Phishing kits to carry out phishing campaigns and Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) to extort money.
• Chat rooms and Forums – Hackers and fraudsters are often involved in exchanging intelligence pertaining to their target business and updating each other on techniques using chat rooms.
• Data for Sale – The Dark Web has many marketplaces where stolen data are available. This includes critical business data, such as IP, source code, company information, and digital certificates.

What is Threat Intelligence for the Dark Web?

The Dark Web offers a way to exchange information between cyber criminals that are not available for public access. They often gain access to vital information, such as login credentials, making a business vulnerable to any cyber threat. These days, work from home is offering a golden opportunity for cybercriminals and Dark Web intelligence communities.

A research conducted into the various aspects of the Dark Web found that access to corporate networks were available on the Dark Web for sale. The study further added that 60% of the analyzed sites had some form of corporate harm. This included network compromises and suspension of online services (DDoS),

A key method to protecting your business from the threats of the Dark Web is to monitor the activity within its bounds. However, Dark Web being anonymous makes it ideal for unlawful activities. A range of tools are available that are potent enough to drill down into the Dark Web and deliver actionable insights. These tools also look deep into the Dark Web and search for specifics that can be used to breach into your organization’s security systems. This typically includes mentions of your organization, email addresses, IP addresses, etc. The best part is that these tools can also be used to check vendor vulnerability for vendor risk assessment due diligence.

Why Dark Web Monitoring is Important for Managed Services Providers?

Dark web monitoring is not only beneficial for businesses but it also very important for MSPs managing their IT. Since MSPs have lot of data from clients stored on their system, and are key to keeping the lights on for their clients, minimizing the possibility of cyberattacks like DDoS or Ransomware is very important for them. If an MSP is compromised, there’s high possibility that its clients would also get compromised sooner or later. Dark web monitoring provides early detection of data breach by monitoring the web’s depths to identify activity associated with the users’ identity.

There are a number of tools that businesses can use for dark web monitoring. Once configured, tools can notify you if any relevant business or user identity information was leaked on dark web. And if so, business needs to act quickly and take appropriate actions to minimize the impact of potential security risks.

So, here was an overview of dark web monitoring and that’s why it needs to be integrated into the IT management solutions. If you are using MSP to manage your IT, ensure that you’re availing dark web monitoring services from a cyber security focused provider so that you’ve minimal fears while surfing the web.  Zenmid provides IT services but leads with cybersecurity and Dark Web Monitoring is one of the key tools in our arsenal.