Why do I need to worry about the Dark Web?

What is the Dark web?

The dark web is a part of the internet that the search engines don’t refer to. There are some legitimate reasons for being in the dark web, but generally speaking it is the place the cyber criminals hang out.

When businesses get hacked the cyber criminals sell the data they have stolen in the murky shadows of the dark web. So it may not be that you have been hacked, but it doesn’t mean your data isn’t out there in the dark web.

What data is in the Dark Web?

That depends on where the data was stolen from. But anything including: –

• Email address / username
• Password
• Name
• Address
• Credit Card details
• Date of birth
• National Insurance number
• And so on…

If my data is in the Dark Web have I been hacked?

Maybe, but more likely there has been a breach at a company that holds some data about you. There are sources of information that will tell you if your data has been breached and where. In fact at the bottom of this page you can do a quick free check on your email address and also check how strong your passwords are.

What can I do about it?

There is not much you can do to stop your information being touted around the dark web once it has been breached. However, there are some useful tips to prevent this already public information from causing your greater inconvenience and pain.

1. Use different passwords in every place you have to login.
2. Use a password manager to help you generate and remember complex passwords.
3. If you know there has been a breach at a company where your data is held then change the passwords in that system and every system where you use the same password. (Obviously, you won’t need to do the latter because you took heed of points 1 and 2 above, right?)
4. Get someone to monitor your business email domain name for breached data. Then you can be alerted as soon as any of your data is found lurking in the Dark Web.

Need help?

If you are interested in a dark web report for your business, then please book a meeting here and we will discuss your needs.

Here it the link to check if your email addres has been stolen

https://www.reach-it.co.uk/services/it-management-support/has-your-email-address-been-stolen/

and a bonus password check

https://www.reach-it.co.uk/services/it-management-support/password-strength-checker/