What is Dark Web Monitoring?
Dark Web monitoring is the process of collecting and analysing data from the dark web (also known as the deep web or the hidden web). The dark web is a section of the internet that is not discoverable by standard search engines like Google. In fact, most people only have access to the “surface web”, which consists of websites that can be found and indexed by search engines. However, the majority of internet traffic takes place on the “deep web”, which is a larger and more sinister subset of the internet that cannot be indexed by search engines. There are however other legitimate uses of the dark web and these may include things like online newspaper archives, data from government websites, pages behind paywalls, and other resources that aren’t discoverable by search engines.
Why is Dark Web Monitoring Important for Businesses?
The dark web is associated with everything that is illegal in our society, including drugs, guns, money laundering and human trafficking. In addition, this is the place where hackers mostly store and or sell compromised sensitive data. As such, this would be the place where your organisation’s stolen data would reside after an attack.
The dark web can represent a major threat to your business if you are not monitoring and analysing what is happening on this part of the internet. Bear in mind, dark web activities can have a negative impact on your brand, your reputation, and your company’s bottom line.
As a business owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your business is operating legally and within the framework of all applicable laws. Having your breached data on the dark web could have legal implications for your organisation as the original custodian of that data.
How Can You Monitor the Dark Web?
Dark web monitoring scans the dark web for specific information such as corporate email addresses, company names or specific URLs in near real-time. All the raw intelligence gathered from these scans is assessed for real threats and will trigger pre-set alarms to the organisation’s Cyber Security, legal, fraud teams etc.
Strategies to Protect Your Business from the Dark Web
The first step is to be able to recognize and understand the threat posed by the activity on the dark web. You can use Dark Web Monitoring to gather insights into the types of threats to your company and the areas you need to focus on. There are many ways to protect your business from threats on the dark web, including educating your employees on the types of threats and how to recognize them. Establishing a strong digital security strategy that includes the use of malware and virus protection software and firewalls. The best solution is to engage a team of specialists who will constantly monitor, detect and respond to threats.
Sello Tech’s complete Extended Detection and Response solution includes robust Dark Web Monitoring with regular audit reports to protect your company from potential threats. Talk to us for a tailored solution.
