You've likely heard of the Dark Web and the den of criminal activity that it contains. But do you know what the Dark Web actually is? The easiest way to summarize the Dark Web is that it is a collection of web pages that are not accessible by a standard internet browser (like Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer). Content on the Dark Web is not indexed by search engines such as Google and has to be accessed with a browser called TOR which stands for The Onion Router.
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What is available on the Dark Web?
Web pages on the Dark Web are generally anonymous and host information that people don't want accessible by the general public. Some content of the Dark Web is completely harmless including complex riddles and puzzles, games, ways to share information with people anonymously, etc. However the Dark Web also hosts sites used to purchase weapons, drugs, stolen information, or to find disturbing and dangerous content.
In short you can find or buy just about anything you can imagine and perhaps some things you wouldn't want to imagine.
How do people conduct illegal business on the Dark Web?
You may be asking yourself how is it possible for criminals to do business on the dark web. The
answer is simple; Cryptocurrency. BitCoin, Dash, Etherem, and Monero are just a few types of cryptocurrency that are often used for illegal transactions. Cryptocurrency allows people to remain anonymous and not use traditional financial institutions to buy/sell illegal goods or services. It is important to note that Cryptocurrency can and is used regularly for legal purposes as well.
What do I really need to know about the Dark Web?
One of the most important things to consider about the Dark Web is that information about you or your company may be available either for free or for purchase. This can include your usernames/passwords to websites, financial information, medical records, etc. This information can find its way onto the Dark Web by someone directly stealing your information or through a breach of a company/website that you have used.
Just a few examples of company breaches that have had troves of data dumped to the dark web:
- My Fitness Pal
- Zynga (Words With Friends)
So what does this REALLY mean to me?
According to the Ponemon Institute, 51% of people reuse an average of 5 passwords across business and personal accounts. Hackers know that the probability of people reusing the same passwords across sites is relatively high. That means if someone has access to your email address and some of your passwords, they can probably access more information that you use. This could be used to steal money, your identity, or gather more information about you to sell on the Dark Web.
Summary
Before you go downloading TOR and trying to find yourself on the Dark Web, please contact us! We can safely do a scan of the Dark Web for your email address(es) to tell you if you have information readily available out there. If you do have information available on the Dark Web, we can help make sure you have the appropriate systems in place to mitigate your risk. It is also important to note that all of our Managed Services programs proactively monitor the Dark Web for any information that may become available about you and your company.