What is the Dark Web and Why it Should Concern You

There’s a place on the Internet called the dark web, but there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of it. The dark web is a collection of websites on the Internet that is not visible to search engines or the general user. It can only be accessed using special software. Even if you never plan to visit the dark web, you need to be aware of its existence. The dark web is where cybercriminals go to buy and sell illegally obtained materials such as compromised passwords, identity information, payment information, and much more.  

Think of the Internet as having three layers. The top layer, which is what we know as the world wide web and where normal webpages reside.  This top layer only accounts for 4% of all Internet content.

The next layer is the “deep web.” This would pertain to web pages like healthcare records, payment information, and subscription services – web pages that would contain confidential consumer information and have strong security protocols to access.  

The deepest layer–and the one we’re focusing on here–is the dark web. The dark web hosts 6% of all Internet content. That is a scary number when you consider that the dark web serves as a clearinghouse for buying and selling stolen and illegal information.  It utilizes specific software and payment methods to ensure anonymity.  

If you’re just learning about the dark web, you may be feeling a bit defenseless against it. Luckily, there are ways to protect your business from the dark web. As part of its comprehensive cybersecurity plan, ICC monitors the dark web for your credentials.

It is important to remember that scanning the dark web is just a small piece of the cybersecurity pie.  ICC puts several cybersecurity tactics in place to significantly reduce the possibility of an attack and protect your data. At a minimum, a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy should include email security, network security, monitored backups, test restoring, employee education, and Quarterly Cybersecurity Reviews to boost your defenses against cybercriminals. If you are missing one piece of the pie, you may be exposed to cyber-attacks and could be faced with significant business disruption.

If you’d like us to do a little digging into the dark web on your behalf and put a full defense plan in place, give ICC a call at (970) 821-8592. You can also check out our latest video about the dark web on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=831BBl6pfEU).