What Is the Dark Web? The Dark Web, sometimes called the deep web, contains only 6% of internet content, but that content can be powerful if used illegally. Imagine the Dark Web to be like an unlit, hidden alley. You can’t see the face of anyone when you peek inside; transactions are happening between people that aren’t being seen, and individuals are moving freely, anonymously, and without a trace. Nothing is tracked by search engines like Google or Bing, encryption hides identities, and to get into these secret areas, you need special software. Like that dark alley, this is where dishonest behavior can thrive. If your information and identity are being exchanged on the Dark Web,
Why is the Dark Web Dangerous? If you don’t want to be seen, then it’s likely that you don’t want to be caught. Cybercriminals buy and sell physical items like illegal drugs and guns, as well as electronic material like identities, passwords, hacking tools, and credit card numbers. The problem is not only IF your credentials have been compromised, but WHAT you do next to protect yourself. Password reuse and lack of awareness of sophisticated phishing scams, like Business Email Compromise scams, means cybercriminals can use your own data against you.
What Is a Dark Web Scan By taking a dive into the depths of the Dark Web, we are able to perform a scan that searches for the presence of your organization’s email domain. Cybercriminals on the Dark Web work hard to keep law enforcement and good-guy hackers from uncovering compromised data. So, while we do have human-verified data and a team hard at work cracking passwords, there may be more information on the Dark Web than what is being presented here today in this report. The Dark Web is large and complex, and there are locations that have yet to be penetrated and indexed. Therefore, it is imperative that you adopt a proactive approach of educating your users on possible phishing emails and other tactics that can result from breached dark web data. This isn’t a problem that is contained within borders –it’s growing every single day, which is why you need to conduct ongoing monitoring of the Dark Web.
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What Should I Do to Protect Myself and My Organization?
If your data was compromised -even one account, your credentials need to be attended to right away. The first thing you should do is change your passwords for any and all accounts you may have used that same password for. Passwords should be complex and a combination of at least 8-10 letters and characters. You should consider making your strong password a passphrase, which is a sequence of words meshed together. On an ongoing basis, you should always:
Use two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an extremely beneficial added security layer that requires users to provide extra proof that they are who they say they are when trying to log into their accounts.
Monitor your Dark Web status
New data breaches are discovered every hour of every day. A once and done Dark Web scan will not be enough to protect your Dark Web status ongoing. Continuous monitor equals constant protection.
Provide ongoing training & education
Cybersecurity threats are constantly changing and evolving. Ongoing training is necessary for your employees to stay up-to-date on current threats and best security practices.
Phish your employees regularly
In addition to training your employees on phishing, it is important that you put them to the test. Sending simulating phishing emails will help ensure employees know how to spot phishing attempts when they hit their inboxes.
Contact us today to learn how you can bundle in complete end-user security into your service. Dark Web Monitoring, Weekly Training, Ongoing Phishing, & more. Together we can strengthen the most targeted part of your network, your employees, into your most vigilant defense.