Define: Dark Web
Most people have been informed about the illicit behaviors on the “dark web” via the news or television specials. However, you can’t access these hidden websites without special software. You truly have to go out of your way while using the appropriate tools (typically software called Tor) to even access these sites. That’s where the service of dark web scanning comes in.
Tor can be used for anonymous browsing of the normal web. It can hide their location of where they’re browsing from too. This function is commonly used in other countries where Facebook is blocked, which is a legitimate use for Tor hidden services. But the dark web is commonly known for criminal activities. Hiding your location so authorities cannot locate you while you’re selling databases of credit cards or social security numbers online is ideal in that case. On one hand, some databases of personal information on the dark web that are on popular public sites while others are sold in a private exchange.
Define: Dark Web Scanning
Companies that offer a “dark web scan” do not explain with great detail as to what they do or how they do it. All that is known (from a technological standpoint) is that no one can truly scan the entire dark web for someone’s personal information since it can be sold privately, and that takes time. The companies that are selling the scanning services are gathering data dumps that are public on popular sites via the dark web.
With dark web scanning services, you can know if specific aspects of your personal information (such as email address, social security number, phone number, driver’s license, medical ID, bank accounts, and similar) have been compromised. Like stated previously, no one can actually scan the entire dark web for a piece of information. So is it really worth it to pay for this service if it’s not definitive?
How much is this service really worth?
To put it plainly, it’s not worth any money to pay for this service at all. Since companies can only search the public dark web sites that have databases of personal information, you’ll never truly know if your information is been “privately compromised”. However, if dark web scanning is for free, you should take full advantage of it! This way you know exactly what information is on open database site pages.
What’s next?
When it comes to any accounts, it’s wise to have unique passwords. Here’s what we recommend you do if you’re concerned about your personal information being leaked onto the dark web:
- Change your passwords
- Set up two-factor authentication
- Use a password manager and generate unique passwords for each site
When the internet started to boom, most people wrote their passwords in a single notebook of sorts. With all the sites you can only access with an username/password, it’s ideal to keep it all in one spot that is safe and quick to access. It is more reliable nowadays to have a password manager to create unique passwords and safely keep all distinguishable passwords in one spot. If you are interested in a password managing service, give us a call today!
