The dark web is a small portion of the internet that most business owners don’t think about, but it’s exactly where your data could end up should you experience a security breach. Learn more about the dark web, including why it’s dangerous and how dark web monitoring can detect online threats to your business.
What is the dark web?
When we think of the internet, odds are it’s browsers like Google that first come to mind. But the internet is incredibly vast and contains multiple levels. There are actually three levels to the internet:
- The World Wide Web
- The Deep Web
- The Dark Web
The world wide web is the internet we’re all familiar with, with search engines like Google, Firefox, and Safari finding us websites like Amazon, Wikipedia, or Rotten Tomatoes. If you think of an iceberg, the world wide web would be the tip of the iceberg that’s exposed above sea level. Underneath that is the deep web, which isn’t readily accessible via search engines. The deep web holds the world’s private information—bank statements, medical records, or sites that require the use of a password. The deep web makes up about 90% of the total content on the internet, and it should never be confused with the final level of the internet: the dark web.
The dark web is the seedy part of the internet that comprises about 6% of internet content. It’s where criminals, including cybercriminals, do business. You need a particular encrypted browser (such as a Tor Browser) and special software to access it, and it’s where criminals anonymously buy and sell illegal information, drugs, pornography, and much else.
🔎 Learn more about the dark web in a video from Zeta Sky.
Why is the dark web dangerous for businesses?
If your business is hacked and you suffer a data breach, the dark web is where that information is going to be bought and sold. Have you or your business ever been hacked? Are you sure? There are tens of thousands of dark websites on the dark web, and ordinary software cannot penetrate them to discover if any of your sensitive information or credentials are circulating. Without this access, it’s difficult or impossible to know if your business has lost data in a breach or cyberattacks.
What is dark web monitoring?
Dark web monitoring or scanning keeps your business one step ahead of cybercriminals. A dark web scan monitors the dark web’s open-source information using both human beings and artificial intelligence. It helps organizations and businesses uncover any potential threats to their online security by scanning private networks, criminal chat rooms, forums, blogs, and more for relevant information.
The importance of dark web monitoring for business
Dark web scans are essential for business security. They detect new, old, and imminent threats to the safety of your business—some of which you may be totally unaware of. A dark web scan won’t monitor the entirety of the dark web; instead, companies choose the precise information they want to monitor, and if something is discovered, the company is notified right away.
This security process shortens disaster recovery-response times and diminishes the scale of a security breach, should one occur.
Is dark web monitoring worth it?
The best dark web monitoring services will help safeguard your business from identity fraud, cyberattacks, potential data breaches, and more. That said, they can’t protect your business from everything. Dark web monitoring is a proactive approach designed to keep you informed of possible threats and braced for incoming cyberattacks.
If your organization suffers a data breach, the sooner you can contain it, the better. Dark web monitoring is only one piece of your online security. Should the worst happen and your business is hacked, an incident response plan is another key element of your business’s cybersecurity. The plan prepares your business for the high-pressure situation of a cyberattack. An incident response plan contains detailed instructions on how to deal with security events, confirmed data breaches, and network incidents.
🔎 Learn more about the importance of an incident response plan.
Free dark web scan from Zeta Sky
Zeta Sky provides IT services that eliminate employee complaints, increase overall productivity, and provide you with peace of mind. We provide dark web monitoring services that can detect threats to the safety of your business. We can also help your business manage all of your cybersecurity needs, including cloud backup solutions, disaster recovery, and proactive incident response preparedness.
Get in touch with our team to schedule a free, no obligation, dark web scan. We can only offer a limited number of free scans, so reserve yours today!
