How Much Of Your Data Is On The Dark Web?
Whether acquired through malicious hacking or accidental breaches, criminals are always on the lookout for access to different types of company data. These include export dumps from PMS/DMS systems, client information, employee login credentials, financial records, HR databases and more. However, like any business, cybercriminals need to market, distribute and sell their goods and the go-to place for this exchange is the Dark Web.
The Dark Web is the hidden part of the internet, not indexed by conventional search engines such as Google or Bing. If you have heard of the Dark Web, it is likely as a network for illegal activities such as the sale of weapons and drugs. Cybercriminals now use it in the same way, to circumvent law enforcement to buy and sell corporate data. As specialists in Dark Web monitoring, we see hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of credentials and card details being shared or sold on the Dark Web every day.
What are criminals doing with your data?
Most worryingly, they can use authentic login credentials to access your network completely undetected. They can also launch phishing and ransomware attacks on your company or your employees, or they can fraudulently use credit card or corporate account details scraped from your data.
The consequences of criminals accessing your data in this way are obvious. There can be direct costs of paying ransoms, compliance fines (with GDPR now in force that could be up to £20 million or 4% of your global turnover), and the costs of repairing the holes in your network security. Then there is the indirect impact on your share price, client confidence and negative PR, which are potentially even more damaging.
There is also the risk that if these attacks go undetected, you are leaving your business vulnerable to even more damaging attacks in the future. The longer you take to detect a breach, the more financial risk you face. Ultimately, if you don’t know where your data is, how can you hope to defend yourself?
What can businesses do to protect themselves?
You could start by adding some new capabilities to your existing network security. Network log analysis or AI tools are great and can help to discover attacks and breaches. However, putting another bolt on the front door doesn’t solve your problem if the back door is left open.
What you really need is a Dark Web Monitoring solution that continuously scans the Dark Web for your data. This alerts you in real-time when your data is detected, so you can quickly take action to mitigate risk and minimise loss.
Dark Web Monitoring
Nasstar’s Dark Web Monitoring software continuously monitors millions of Dark Web pages and hundreds of dumpsites 24/7, then filters and extracts information based on your specific search terms, including (masked) email addresses, credit card numbers, domain names, IP addresses and much more. When your data appears or is shared by cybercriminals, Dark Web Monitoring instantly alerts you providing additional peace of mind and protection against data breaches – a key requirement of any organisation’s GDPR compliance strategy.
Don’t wait for Dark Web threats to become cybersecurity disasters, contact us today for more information.