The Dark Web consists of content that you can't get to through search engines such as Google. It requires browsers such as Freenet, Tor, Rifle, and I2P. It's known for providing anonymous access and people often use it to conduct illegal activities in cyberspace. Your company can benefit from Dark Web scans that help you determine if your customer or company data is for sale on the Dark Web. Centerpoint IT offers these scans and provides comprehensive cybersecurity tools and monitoring to keep your data safe.
“The Dark Web, a conglomerate of services hidden from search engines and regular users, is used by cybercriminals to offer all kinds of illegal services and goods. Multiple Dark Web offerings are highly relevant for the cybersecurity domain in anticipating and preventing attacks, such as information about zero-day exploits, stolen datasets with login information, or botnets available for hire,” according to NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence.
What’s Available on the Dark Web?
"Thee deep web, on the other hand, consists of areas of the Internet not easily accessible on a browser. This includes virtual private networks, corporate databases, and websites not directly linked to the surface web. It is estimated the deep web is considerably larger than the surface web—by 400 to 500 times. Only 0.2 percent of the Internet is estimated to be on the surface web; the other 99.8 percent of Internet data resides on the deep web. Within the deep web resides the dark web. The dark web consists of a highly encrypted network, with websites hidden from standard search engines. It is accessible via The Onion Router (TOR) web browser engine, developed in 2002, using a variety of hidden servers to access these sites," according to Police Chief magazine.
People go to the Dark Web for a variety of services, including the purchase or sale of financial information, hacker services, personal information and other data that belongs to companies and individuals. It’s the digital version of a black market.
Consumer Affairs warns that cyber-attacks are becoming more widespread due to demand for information on the Dark Web. That's why information from Symantec indicates ransomware and other cyber-attacks may become more frequent in the future. Here are just a few statistics that corroborate this conclusion:
- Attacks on supply chains have increased by nearly 80%
- PowerShell scripts unleash malicious attacks and have increased by 1000-fold
- Nearly half of malicious email attachments are Microsoft Office files that trick users into opening them
- IT Security Form jacking is up by 117%, which allows cybercriminals to steal credit cards and other information you enter on online payment forms.
How Can You Find Out if Your Information Has Been Compromised?
Once data has been stolen, there are Dark Web monitoring solutions that can find usernames and passwords available for sale.
Unfortunately, this is a lucrative business. Illegal sales on the Dark Web can net millions of dollars per transaction. Unprotected systems or inadequate cybersecurity put your customers, employees, and any third party connecting to your systems at risk.
How Can Your Company Obtain Protection Against Dark Web Data Nabbing?
Centerpoint IT conducts Dark Web searches for Atlanta area companies and can provide proven cybersecurity protection against data breaches by hackers looking to make money on the Dark Web. We have tools that can monitor your company's domain in real-time on the Dark Web. This can prevent your sensitive data from being posted and distributed to the highest bidder. That includes accounts, passwords, and other stolen credentials. If your information is found, you receive a notification.
Contact Centerpoint IT Today
If you're not sure if you are company’s computers are secure or have questions about the Dark Web, contact Centerpoint IT today.
Our services areas include metro Atlanta, Roswell, Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Norcross, Decatur, Marietta, Buckhead, Duluth, Kennesaw, Snellville, Brookhaven, and Lilburn. You can reach us by calling (470) 251-4276 or contacting us online today.
