Let's talk a bit about the dark web
The first time you heard “Dark Web,” what was your perspective? You may simply imagine it as a shady web; you’re right, but trust me, it’s wider than you may have thought. For example, in July 2019 alone, over 150 million Capital One credit card applications and accounts were compromised in a cyberattack which left the user’s vital information vulnerable and exposed to the dark web. What does that tell you? To hit the nail on the head, your business and employee information may be exposed or sold on the Dark Web without your consent.
Does that sound too much to digest? Well, that’s the reality, however, to avoid the tragic story that hurts or ruins business, it’s a must to re-strategize your IT Support. So, how can you do it? This article is designed to give you deep insight into Dark Web, as well as clues to recognize its effect and the solution.
What is the dark web?
As the name implies, it’s the compilation of all hidden sites which are inaccessible through the regular or main search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, AOL, Ask.com, Excite, DuckDuckGo, etc). In more explanatory terms, this part of the web is a tiny section of the internet that people use to stay hidden from the public. To operate on the dark web (encrypted network) requires some distinct software and authorization which makes it almost impossible for a tech novice. The main benefit the dark web provides is anonymity which is why many users trying to cover their tracks adopt the platform.
Most often, users are majorly cybercriminals, drug dealers, human traffickers, terrorists, whistleblowers, and people willing to hide their data from anyone.
Evolution of the dark web
The saying “every problem has a source,” can be associated with the existence of the dark web. Although, it should be noted that the browser that enables users anonymity wasn’t a problem in the first place until it gets to the wrong hand. The US Naval Research Laboratory was the pioneer of the program and the aim was to enable government secret agents to transmit classified information without been exposed. But little did they know that criminals and others would find out the clues and use the program in carrying out their unlawful activities while remaining anonymous.
Any distinction between the dark web and deep web
If we imagine the Deep Web as a flower garden, Dark Web is one of the flowers. That is, it’s simply a tiny component in the deep web used to remain anonymous. While Deep Web, on the other hand, refers to the sections of the Internet that are not indexed by search engines, and hence, do not show even when a user purposefully requested them. You may start wondering how wide this part of the internet is. To satisfy your curiosity, the analysis is this: if we imagine the indexed part of the internet as the face of the ocean (say the Atlantic Ocean), the deep web is the depth of the ocean itself! Just let blow your mind for a second.
According to Bera, “90% of the whole internet is considered to be the “deep web.” So, what comprises the deep web? Your banking stuff, social media accounts, Gmails, and private database.
should i be concerned?
Yes! Remember that the Dark Web houses tons of data stolen in several cyber attacks such as the Operation Shady RAT, World of Hell, Red October, Wannacry Ransome attack, and many more. And these data are later traded to criminals which have other destructive motives.
Come to think of it, emails and other financial data stolen and later sold to criminals or terrorists may be used to infiltrate your other business accounts or online services because most people use the same password on many platforms over and over again. Consequently, all the user’s accounts, even if they are up to 200, would be compromised, while the victim’s sensitive information (personal, financial, and business) would be hijacked and used to do more damages.
How will i verify my credentials are in the dark web?
To verify your business:
Dark Web monitoring tool is a credible means to ascertain if your business or employee credentials are saved or accessible on the Dark web.
To verify your credentials:
For personal use, Mozilla’s Firefox Monitor and Have I been Pwned? tools are special crafts that enable users to input their private mail address to see if it has been compromised by any form.
If you’re wondering if your password has been compromised, use Google’s Password Checkup to find out. Apart from disclosing the result, it can also check if your password may be susceptible to future attacks because the password is weak.
What is dark web monitoring?
Yes! If we imagine dark web monitoring as a fully loaded Pistol, a dark web scan is simply one of the bullets. From this analysis, it’s crystal clear that the Dark Web Monitor is a one-time tool that can be used to check if business privacy or information is in a stronghold or may be in trouble, while Dark Web Monitoring, on the other hand, is a complete package designed to continuously explore, monitor, and make reports if there is any bit of your company’s information on the Dark Web.
As a result of the steady operation of the Dark Web Monitoring, you can relax that your classified information exposed would be detected, while proper justification would be done to any visible loopholes in the system.
Is dark web monitoring worth the shot?
People would say, “there are limits to what we can see with our naked eyes.” Similarly, using human efforts, alone in monitoring your data may not the best security defense. Even after all your effort, your sensitive information may be stolen and you may not know and even you do, all things may have fallen apart.
But with the Dark Web Monitoring service, your data is highly protected and even if there is a breach, it renders it useless as you will be notified, immediately!
How can we help?
The Timeless IMS Dark Web Monitoring service is an advanced system designed to help you identify and counterattack any form of cyber invasion on your adored information (emails, passwords, etc). Our IT Support integrated human and updated artificial threat intelligence to make our services outstanding; which is why it continuously monitors the Dark Web in real-time.
SME IT Support has what it takes when it comes to full-time protection (All-year-round). Immediately something smells fishy, we alert you and recommend a way out as well as things to put in place to avoid the same scenario in the future.
