The “Underworld” of the Internet – The Dark Web

The Dark Web is the part of the internet that is not visible to search engines. It requires users to use a special browser called Tor. This browser allows users to browse anonymously creating an environment where it’s easy for the unsavoury to lurk but also unsafe for those who aren’t aware of its dangers.  

A lot of information found on the Dark Web is hidden and although some of it is safe, much of it is not. If you don’t understand the Dark Web or how it works you may not be aware of how harmful it can be to you and your business. Precautions must be taken to protect your confidential information from being found on the Dark Web.  

How is Dark Web different from the Web?

The Web is a vast network of interconnected computers all around the world. Through the Web, people can share information and communicate with other people across the globe using the internet. Information on the web is indexed by search engines making it easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection irrespective of geography. On the other hand, Information on the Dark Web is not indexed and stays hidden requiring special privileges to see and access. This part of the web, the Dark Web is the unchartered part of the web that’s existed since March of 2000. 

The Dark Web is a hotbed of dark things! 

As you can imagine, many cybercriminals love to prowl this space, looking for easy prey.  

How can this parallel space exist? It exists because online content can be encrypted and hidden online. Because the information is hidden, it never gets indexed and therefore does not appear on search engine result pages like Google or Bing. And cyber criminals love the Dark Web because they can be anonymous while using it!  

You do not want your business or employees associated with this unsafe environment. If they are, there is the potential for your company’s (or client’s) information to find its way into any of the many “darknets.” Once it is found on the Dark Web, there is no telling how much damage you, your employees, or your clients may experience. Fortunately, we can find if your information is on the dark web, and work with you to remediate it. 

On the dark web, anything and everything can be found. This includes illegal drugs, bank account and Social Security numbers, passwords and all sorts of your PII:  sensitive and confidential information. Hackers are out there trolling for any vulnerabilities they can find and are constantly collecting this data off unsecured websites and using the information for their own financial and illegal gains.  

Cybercriminals go there because they know breached data eventually finds its way to the Dark Web. It comes from compromised credentials, third party leaks or ransomware dump listings. Once this breached data is discovered, it becomes an invaluable source of revenue. All kinds of illegal activity and discussions happen here including threat intelligence to pre-plan attacks and look for other vulnerabilities and ways to exploit information.  

Sandra Network will work with you and your organization to give you unparalleled visibility into dark web risks within your organization. We will help you become aware of threats to your organization and enable your team to take actions on these threats before they become incidents. 

What are the risks?

Those who dive into the Dark Web will find a veritable eCommerce market for things that are not available via regular methods. For instance, you can’t buy a database filled with usable credit card or debit card numbers on Amazon; you can’t head to Etsy and purchase thousands or even millions of user’s credentials for bank accounts; you can’t point your browser to Walmart.com and click to add a list of valid social security numbers into your shopping cart. Unfortunately, you can buy these things on the Dark Web. And because you can buy this type of information on the Dark Web, including your sensitive information, precautions must be taken. We can help train your employees on how to securely navigate websites to mitigate the following types of threats found on the Dark Web such as: 

• Malicious software 
• Cyberattacks 
• Ransomware
• Phishing malware
• Trolling 

You need to ensure your employees’ credentials are not on the dark web, exposing your company data.

End-user protection against exploitation in the dark web 

Regardless of being a business, parent, or any other user of the web, you will want to take precautions to keep your information and private life off the dark web. 

Identity theft monitoring is critical if you want to keep your confidential information from being misused. All types of personal data can be distributed online for a profit. Passwords, physical addresses, bank account numbers, and social security numbers circulate on the dark web all the time. 

The dark web is home not only to hackers looking to steal our info but also to criminals who sell-off this illegally obtained data that includes sensitive personal records. Ensure your employees do not fall victim to phishing schemes where passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc. are acquired and sold. Malicious actors will use this type of information to engage in financial theft, breach your online accounts and even to harm your credit. Plus, leaks of personal data may damage your business’s reputation once discovered or be used for “social” fraud.  

Antimalware and antivirus protections are equally crucial to prevent malicious actors from exploiting you. The dark web is filled with information theft from malware-infected users. Attackers can use tools like keyloggers to gather your data, and they can infiltrate your system on any part of the web.  

Secure your business with Sandra Network. We uncover your compromised credentials in Dark Web markets, data dumps, and other sources. We can quickly alert you to trouble, allowing you to mitigate the problem and giving you the advantage to act before cybercriminals have a chance to act.  
 

Contact Us today for a free, one time, Dark Web scan to see if your organization has exposed information.