What you need to know about the dark web

Maybe you’ve heard of the “dark web”, but do you happen to know anything about it? If you’re a business owner, you must understand why the dark web presents significant cybersecurity concerns. Here’s what you need to know.

What is the dark web?

The dark web is one of three “layers” of the internet.

Clear web: The layer of the internet we’re most familiar with, the clear web or surface web, is all publicly accessible websites available on search engines such as Google or Amazon.
Deep web: On the other hand, the deep web is a section of the internet you can’t access on conventional search engines. Typically, it’s where you’ll find pages that don’t appear in search engines for legitimate reasons, e.g. your email inbox or bank account.
Dark web: The dark web is where pages are deliberately (and securely) hidden from conventional search engines. Users can stay anonymous, making it a popular place for criminal activity.

To be clear, criminals are not the only ones who utilize the dark web. Since it’s heavily encrypted and protected by extensive firewalls, it does attract scammers, hackers, and other types of cybercriminals.

What’s for sale on the dark web?

Given how difficult it is to monitor or trace transactions on the dark web, there’s an alarming range of information for sale here, including:

Credit card numbers
Hacked account details
Ransomware and malware
Subscription credentials

It doesn’t cost much to access this data, either. According to statistics, hackers can purchase access to some corporate networks for less than $1,000.

Is the dark web a cybersecurity threat?

Absolutely — and there’s a straightforward reason why this is the case.

The dark web makes up roughly 5% of the entire internet.
The “clear” web accounts for a much smaller percentage.

In other words, the dark web poses a more significant threat to your business than the clear web, so understanding it is necessary to safeguard your business data.

How can a security provider protect your business data on the dark web?

Although it’s impossible to eliminate every cyber threat, an IT security provider can provide invaluable support to help shield your valuable assets from theft. Here’s how.

Endpoint security: A complete endpoint security strategy offers the best protection against external threats such as ransomware and viruses.
Vulnerability testing: Vulnerability testing lets you strengthen your infrastructure to prevent nefarious actors from penetrating your system.
Staff education: A services provider can equip your staff with the knowledge they need to use the internet safely so they’re less likely to fall prey to scams.
24/7 monitoring: Cybercrime doesn’t sleep, so neither should your security monitoring. An experienced provider will track your networks around the clock to quickly identify threats.

Protecting against the Dark Web

As the dark web grows, businesses must evolve to protect themselves. Consider partnering with a security provider like GB Tech to keep your data safe. An experienced IT provider will proactively monitor your infrastructure and quickly detect any threats to your data — giving you peace of mind to focus on running your company. Contact GB Tech to discover how security solutions can help safeguard your business.