Are dark web monitoring services worth it?
Introduction
Chances are that you’ve seen ads for services offering dark web monitoring in the past few months. They promise to explore the dark web for your personal information to see if a hacker has listed it for sale. Since we live in a world where our private data is a key target for cybercriminals, it makes sense to build a safety net through proactive monitoring, right?
Well, it’s a sort of catch-22 situation. While it seems like a great idea to protect your identity in this way, you could end up paying for nothing if you make a decision without doing any research. So is a dark web monitoring service worth your investment? We’ll take a deeper look to find out.
What is the dark web?
The dark web is an assortment of hidden websites that can only be accessed through specific software. Its name is often mentioned alongside the deep web, which is basically the part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines (like internal company databases and private websites). The dark web makes up a tiny portion of the deep web, and it’s where cybercriminals sell, publish or save the personal data of their victims.
The sites present on the dark web are typically hosted on anonymous servers. To access their webpages, you need to use an anonymous browser like Tor. When it comes to data, you can find anything from passports to credit card details being traded on the dark web. Buyers can also purchase what’s called a “Fullz,” essentially a bundle that includes the victim’s Social Security Number, date of birth, complete name, bank account number and a collection of other sensitive data for $20-$30 a pop.
But how do cybercriminals gain access to your personal information? Well, there are plenty (Read more...)
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Infosec Resources authored by Dan Virgillito. Read the original post at: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/infosecResources/~3/HH0anlQ-7vE/
