The internet that most people are familiar with is called the surface web. It’s where you go to check your social media accounts, search for information related to your business, and browse news about what’s happening in the world. Hidden in the internet, however, is a part that most of the public don’t access — the dark web.
What is it?
The dark web is an invisible part of the web where activities that go on are often of a negative nature. It’s quite similar to the surface web except it allows users to browse anonymously and conduct illegal activities with little to no consequences. While there are many who use it for non-illicit purposes like intel gathering and information liberation (particularly people from countries with extreme censorship policies), a disturbing amount of users utilize the dark web for illegal ventures.
Why the Dark Web Should Cause You and Your Business Concern
Because the dark web is hidden under multiple layers of encryption, it’s an ideal space for criminal activities, including the sale of sensitive business data. Information sold on the dark web is often stolen from companies that do not have enough safeguards in place. This can include everything on your customer, such as their home address, birth date, and Social Security number.
Your company credit cards may also be there for everyone to bid on, as well as critical information that may influence stock value. And since the dark web is constantly changing and evolving, locating those who make a profit on these is extremely hard.
It’s not just big businesses that are at risk. Small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) are also being targeted because more often than not, SMBs have fewer security measures in place. And because of this lax monitoring, not only is hacking these companies easier for data thieves, there’s also less risk of the theft being discovered.
Safeguarding Your Data With Dark Web Monitoring
How would you know if your company’s or your own personal information is being sold on the dark web? One way to determine if your company’s sensitive data has been compromised is to use websites dedicated to exposing breaches. One example of this is Have I Been Pwned? (https://haveibeenpwned.com/) The site checks if your email address is connected with any website or application that has been identified with a breach.
Another way is to outsource your protection to a company providing managed IT services like Varay, who will not only identify areas in your business that are vulnerable to threats but can also monitor entire domains for you. Not only will our IT professionals help you determine if your company’s data or personal info has been endangered in any way, but Varay can also put the right strategies into place to keep your data secure, including dark web monitoring.
A good dark web monitoring service will provide you with proactive monitoring and real-time alerts. It will lessen the amount of time between an attempt at a data breach and you finding out about it. In case of hacking attempts or security breaches, your IT service provider will be able to notify you immediately, change the passwords if needed, and reduce the window of opportunity for thieves to make copies of your data.
Take action against data thieves.
Data breaches are an everyday threat for businesses, whether big or small. Protect your business from financial and reputational damage by enhancing your cybersecurity awareness and defense strategies. Consult with Varay’s team of IT specialists for a customized protection plan.