January 10th 2025
IS YOUR INFORMATION ON THE DARK WEB?
The dark web, a hidden part of the internet, is often associated with illegal activities like the sale of drugs, personal data, weapons and other high-risk materials. While some people may use it for legitimate reasons, most of its traffic poses significant risks to businesses.
If your information ends up on the dark web, it can easily fall into the wrong hands, increasing your organisation’s chances of being attacked. This blog will explore practical steps to protect your data and reduce the risk of it being compromised.
How to Check if Your Data Is on the Dark Web
You can conduct a dark web scan to see if your business and personal details have been compromised. To do this, you’ll need a monitoring tool like Cyber Shield Dark Web ID Protection, which allows you to uncover what information is on the dark web, like login credentials or financial data.
How Does Data End Up on the Dark Web?
Your information may have been exposed in several ways:
- Data breaches: Cyber criminals target businesses with weak IT security to steal valuable data.
- Phishing attacks: Employees may unknowingly give away credentials through malicious links or fake emails.
- Poor security practices: Weak passwords or reused credentials make it easier for hackers to access sensitive accounts.
In most cases, your employees will cause the breach, making improving cyber security awareness a top priority.
How to Protect Your Information from the Dark Web
1 - Create and Use Strong Passwords
Introducing a password policy ensures that business applications and the information stored there are protected from hackers. A strong password contains:
- 12-15 characters
- A combination of uppercase and lowercase letters
- Numbers and symbols
- Passphrases or randomly generated, unique passwords
Once your team has created a strong password, set a unique one for every website. A recent study revealed that a fifth of people will reuse the exact login details for multiple sites and devices. This makes passwords easier to crack, weakening your online security.
2 - Enable Multi-factor Authentication
A strong password is not complete without multi-factor authentication (MFA). When logging into your online applications, MFA will prompt you to provide another means of authentication. This may be a one-time code sent to your business mobile or through an app like Microsoft and Google Authenticator.
MFA stops cyber criminals in their tracks - they may have your password, but they won’t get past the verification stage. If they attempt to log in, you’ll be notified, meaning you can change your details quickly.
3 - Train Your Employees on Phishing Attacks
In the last 12 months, 84% of attacks on UK businesses were phishing attempts. These social engineering attacks are becoming more advanced and automated, making it easier for your employees to be caught out.
Using a phishing simulation tool like BullPhish IDTM will improve your team’s ability to identify and react to these attacks. Once you know who is at high risk of clicking on malicious links, organise training to increase cyber security awareness.
Get a Free Dark Web Audit from Lily
Cyber Shield Dark Web ID Protection sends breach alerts and real-time reports the moment your information is found on the dark web. With better visibility, you can take instant action to protect your accounts and prevent a cyber attack or leak from happening again.
Find out if your information is on the dark web with a free audit from Lily. Contact our team to get started.