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Dark Web Monitoring

Identity fraud is incredibly serious. Having your identity stolen is one of the most devastatingly invasive crimes we hope you never have to deal with. It starts with your personal information being compromised, and it could end in heaps of debt or even bankruptcy if not dealt with swiftly and properly.

So where do hackers find your personal information to steal your identity? It could come from a several places, but there’s a good chance that the identity thief got your information off the dark web.

What’s the dark web?

Great question! The dark web—also known as the deep web—is the seedy underworld of the internet, and it’s where a lot of the most grotesque and illegal activities happen in the online world.

To even get to the dark web, one needs a special browser and a good deal of technical knowhow, and navigating the dark web isn’t exactly like browsing Google. While accessing the dark web itself isn’t illegal, many, many of the sites there are not legal to visit. It’s that kind of place.

How does identity theft on the dark web work?

When hackers obtain your information, either by intercepting it with malware or social engineering or via a real-world vector like your garbage, they tend to get listed on the dark web and put up for sale. Identity thieves can then purchase your information with the intent of stealing your identity and making off with more money than your information cost them.

How does dark web monitoring work?

Like it sounds, dark web monitoring is a service that keeps an eye out for your personal information being bandied about the shadows. The service alerts you when it sees your details listed somewhere.

While you can’t remove the information, it allows you some time to change any applicable passwords and put any additional protections in place, like through your banking institution. Dark web monitoring will keep an eye on all kinds of online sources:

  • Forums and chatrooms

  • Peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing networks

  • Web pages

  • Web services, servers and file transmissions

Dark web monitoring is an easy way to make sure your information stays yours. A good first step is to check the site Have I Been Pwned to see if your email address has been compromised. If it has, you will want to change all passwords for all accounts and sign up for dark web monitoring from any one of several service providers.