Introduction
The name itself sound ominous, but how much do you really know about the dangers posed by the Dark Web? It’s a breeding ground for cybercriminals to talk and exchange malicious services; for this reason, Dark Web monitoring tools are becoming more commonplace, to detect if your information is for sale or use on this underground marketplace. However, your compromised PII is not the only threat that the Dark Web poses.
Unfortunately, it’s becoming easier than ever to purchase malicious software online – if you know where to look. Find out what are the biggest risks to your business and how they appear on the dark marketplace so you can better defend against modern threats to your business.
Threats Up for Sale
The Dark Web is more than a place to sell stolen passwords and confidential information, although these are certainly industries that flourish within that illegal underbelly of the internet: The US currently has 1.6M credit card numbers up for sale there, surpassing any other country. The Dark Web is a significant and growing threat.
You can also buy “bundles” of various malicious software, such as ransomware codes that are ready to deploy. They sell for as little as $10 or tens of thousands for more complex packages. Just like a legitimate business model, these sellers offer discounts and deals, customer support, and online reviews to draw in new business. That’s what makes these ransomware kits (also known as “ransomware as a service”) so dangerous to companies like yours.
That’s not all. Dark Web buyers can also find…
- Phishing kits for as little as $7
- Malware toolkits, including Trojans to access systems and the ability to perform other malicious activity once instead
- Codes for hacking and stealing passwords
- Starter kits for beginning hackers
- Viruses and other malicious threats
Protecting Data from the Dark Web
With so many malicious software options readily available for anyone with the money, inclination and criminality to obtain, you can begin to see why it’s so important to protect your PII (personally identifiable information). Dark Web monitoring is one way to do that.
Basically, automated processes scan the Dark Web for traces of your personal data up for sale. They typically check the common dark marketplaces, and can look for information like your email, driver’s license, social security, phone number, bank accounts, credit cards and more. Find free services or more in-depth, paid plans and start protecting your personal data today.
As always, updating your software and keeping up-to-date with the latest technology and security measures are all important ways to prevent compromise in the first place. Fraud detection alerts are useful ways to catch data theft early, like when banks send an SMS message to confirm suspicious purchases. In this vein, two-factor authentication stops hackers from getting into your accounts even with the correct password and are thus vital in preventing data theft.
Conclusion
The Dark Web has a host of dangerous services, and provide ways for cybercriminals to crack or purchase your PII so that a breach occurs before you even know that your data was stolen. There are, however, services out there which automatically detect compromised credentials and notify the user so they can take immediate action.
If you do find your PII exposed on the Dark Web, there are steps you can take. For example, changing your passwords immediately and making sure they don’t match across your various accounts will help prevent initial theft via tactics like password spraying. The more you know about what threats are available to cybercriminals today, the better you can take up defense and bolster your overall cyber safety.
References
- https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2022/03/bad-actors-can-now-obtain-dangerous.html
- https://www.pcmag.com/news/how-much-is-your-stolen-credit-card-worth-on-the-dark-web
- https://cybersecurityventures.com/whos-buying-and-selling-ransomware-kits-on-the-dark-web/
- https://us.norton.com/feature/dark-web-monitoring
