Why Should Executives Monitor The Dark Web?
If you are an executive or a security professional responsible for preventing corporate data breaches, you need to think about the personal information that can exist on the Dark Web.
On the Dark Web, some of the most valuable data for sale is Executive Personal Information that can be used for spearphishing attacks against your company.
Check out our articles on Executive Digital Protection and Personal Identification Removal for Executives for more information.
Executives & their security teams should monitor the dark web for personal information so they can learn about potential threats and risks to their organization’s security, reputation, and operations. Here are a few reasons why executive monitoring is important for companies:
- Early warning of data breaches: The dark web is a shared marketplace for stolen data, including login credentials and personal information. By monitoring the dark web, executives can detect data breaches early, allowing their organization to take immediate action to protect their data and prevent further damage.
- Protection against reputational damage: There can be harmful and inaccurate content about organizations and their executives on the Dark Web. Executives who monitor the dark web can detect and mitigate reputational threats before they escalate into PR disasters.
- Compliance with regulations: Many industries, such as finance and healthcare, have specific regulations regarding protecting sensitive information. By monitoring the dark web, executives can ensure that their organization meets compliance requirements and avoids potential fines or legal penalties.
If you are interested in learning more about how to protect executives at your company from data breaches, click below for a free trial of Agency.
What is the Dark Web?
The Dark Web is part of the Internet where certain websites cannot be accessed using a regular browser but instead require the TOR browser. TOR is a network of websites and online communities designed to be anonymous and untraceable, often using encryption and other security measures to protect the identity and location of users. Many cyber criminals and hackers use the Dark Web to share websites, organize and execute attacks, and sell private information.
What Information Is On The Dark Web?
The dark web contains various information including illegal and harmful content. Some of the types of information that can be found on the dark web include:
- Hacking and cybercrime resources: The Dark Web is a hub for cybercriminals, where they can access hacking tools, tutorials, and services.
- Sensitive information: The Dark Web is a popular location for the sale and trade of stolen data, such as credit card information, login credentials, and personal information.
- Whistleblower information: The Dark Web can be used as a platform for whistleblowers to anonymously share sensitive or confidential information they may not be able to communicate through traditional channels.
Why is it Important For Executives to Monitor The Dark Web?
The Dark Web is essential to monitor because many hackers steal confidential and private corporate through spear-phishing, ransomware, or other tactics. By monitoring the dark web, executives can help protect their identity, help limit the damage of a data breach on their company and take necessary action to protect themselves. They can also protect their business, staff, clients, and more from another potential attack.
Executive Digital Protection protects an executive’s personal and professional digital assets. Executives need to monitor the Dark Web because they’re more at risk of becoming cyber victims. They are often company owners in the public sphere or senior leaders with access to sensitive information.
Many hackers try to target company executives to gather fraudulent information, sell or seek a ransom. While top executives at major companies do have the enterprise-grade personal cyber security that Agency offers, they often receive it directly from their employer and do not have security on their personal devices.
Executive Personal Information removal is part of the Agency package where an executive’s personal information is removed from legal third-party data brokers on the web. This limits their digital footprint, making it more difficult for hackers to exploit personal information in spearphishing attacks.
How Does Dark Web Monitoring Work
Dark Web Monitoring scans the dark web for personal or professional information to see if any sensitive information is exposed. Users receive alerts that allow them to change account details before cybercriminals can weaponize their data against them, in a phishing attack for example.
Monitoring tools can see if private information is on Dark Web online marketplaces, chat rooms, or other web pages after a data breach. Although data on the Dark Web cannot be easily removed, Agency’s dark web monitoring can still help identify if users’ information is being shared, and we can give you the resources so the public data on the Dark Web cannot be used against you.
Ways Agency Can Protect You
Agency offers active dark web monitoring, 24/7 active security monitoring & response by U.S. professionals, VPNs, next-gen antivirus/EDR, ID theft coverage, and personal information removal. Agency offers all executives enterprise-grade cybersecurity protection at a fraction of what is currently available on the market.
