The dark web is one of those things most people know of, but few understand. Of course, they'll have a vague idea that the dark web is a dangerous place used by criminals, but most folks are a bit murky about what goes on there and how it impacts individuals or businesses. Truthfully, few of us need to know the ins and outs of the dark web, but ignorance is not bliss when it comes to the machinations of the cyber underworld. IT and security professionals must understand how dark web activities pose a risk of data breach and incorporate dark web monitoring for businesses into their company's overall cybersecurity strategy.
The dangers of the dark web
You've probably heard that most data breaches - some 80% in fact - are still linked to poor password practices. But what does that mean, exactly, and why should businesses care?
Hackers use all sorts of strategies for finding valid credentials that give them illicit access to a corporate network or company data. In other words, they use stolen passwords to log in and wreak havoc. And how do they get those passwords? Phishing, malware, social engineering, exploiting known vulnerabilities, to name a few strategies. But also - they use the dark web to buy what they want.
The dark web is the hidden underbelly of the Internet, only accessible with special software like the Tor browser. From illegal drugs to stolen credit cards, the dark web is where cybercriminals buy or sell illicit products and ill-gotten data. But where do they get that data?
Over the past decade, hackers stole billions of online records from both popular and obscure online service providers. The early 2010s saw the rise of the "mega-breach." It felt like a week didn't go by without hackers stealing tens or hundreds of millions of records in one fell swoop. And what did those records include? Usernames and passwords. Most of that stolen information ends up on the dark web, where cybercriminals can sell them as individual records or in large data sets to be leveraged by hackers for more attacks.
And so begins a vicious cycle. A data breach affecting login credentials, in turn, leads to more data breaches and/or hacked accounts. Which then leads to more data breaches and account takeovers. Hackers don't even need to go through the trouble of cracking passwords when they have so many valid credentials at their fingertips.
It's not a matter of if cybercriminals will use stolen credentials found/bought on the dark web to try attacking your business. It's a matter of when. Will your business be ready?
How dark web monitoring works
Most people wouldn't know how to find their data is on the dark web. Even IT and security professionals often don't have the tools and knowledge (or time) to search the dark web. That's where dark web monitoring can be a valuable asset.
Dark web monitoring for businesses helps reactively and proactively deal with data breaches. Rather than scan the entire contents of the dark web, cybersecurity companies curate large databases of breached credentials. When an online service provider suffers a data breach, the cybersecurity company adds any leaked data to their monitoring database. Businesses can continuously check employee credentials against the database to see if any corporate accounts are at risk. Typically, the affected employee receives a real-time dark web monitoring alert with more information about the data breach and recommended actions.
Adding dark web monitoring to your security strategy
The dark web is a blind spot for many businesses. However, with such a large volume of data flowing through the dark web and the ongoing risk of leaked credentials, dark web monitoring provides an essential layer of security.
Dark web scans help businesses protect against account takeover, network attacks, data loss, and data breaches by alerting you to compromised accounts. In addition, timely warnings ensure employees can rotate passwords immediately and remain extra vigilant of any suspicious activity. Dark web monitoring equips employees to be more cyber aware - and cyber-resilient.
Every day, businesses trust online service providers with their sensitive information. And when one of those online service providers suffers a data breach, protecting your own company from any downstream effects requires confidence, responsiveness, and layered security. Dark web monitoring equips businesses to act quickly in protecting vulnerable entry points. When paired with a strong cybersecurity foundation, including organization-wide password management and multi-factor authentication, companies can mitigate the risks of the dark web.
Learn more about dark web monitoring for business and how LastPass can help protect every entry point here. 
