We live in a world that focuses more on cybersecurity than ever before, and with the shift to work from home on a large scale, the Corona epidemic has highlighted security awareness, with the aim of preventing company information from falling into the wrong hands, but also affecting our personal lives. When consumers began spending more time online, companies in each industry were quick to complete traditional sales methods and customer interactions with digital equations, and this forced shift of focus in business led to Digital, creating countless new opportunities for cyber criminals to attack, and with news of data and information violations for sale on the dark web or the so-called dark web, consumers have become insensitive to the risks posed by hackers – but this is largely due to a lack of awareness.
While many people spend more time online, and the risk of cyber threats is at an all-time high, it's important for consumers to know what they're facing, with one research revealing that 40% of people don't know what the dark web is, let alone how to hack their data, so what's the dark web and how do we make sure we know if our information is displayed there?
The unknown side of the Internet:
The dark web is accessed through many ways, with thousands of stolen credentials traded for sale, ranging from passwords to bank account numbers and medical records, which is worrying when 80% of data breaches are the result of weak passwords.
Most people don't really understand the real danger from the dark web, with the dark web estimated to run from the world wide web by nearly 96%, however, a recent study from Surrey University revealed that nearly 60% of dark web listings have the potential to harm institutions, and although not all of them are used for illegal purposes, the existence of such diverse networks of criminal activities means that consumers must Protect their information.
Credit card numbers, counterfeit money, and stolen subscription credentials are among the items you'll find for sale on the dark web, and you'll also find rental services, including DDoS, phishing and operational and financial data collection.
Has your information been disclosed?
Research last year showed that one in four people would be willing to pay for the removal of their own information from the dark web – a figure that jumps to 50% for those who have been hacked. While only 13% were able to confirm that the company they interacted with had been involved in a breach – and since 2013, more than 9.7 billion data records have been lost, and this figure is increasing.
Most of us will have no way of knowing whether our information is for sale via the dark web, but still, there are now solutions that proactively verify email addresses, usernames and other exposed credentials against third-party databases, and alert users if any leaked information is found.
How do you keep your information?
The human element is often the weak link in the security chain, where people fail to change their default security settings or use the same password across different platforms in their professional and personal lives. But on an equal footing, not all employers have prioritized spreading a culture of security awareness throughout their institutions.
Security is an ever-changing process rather than a one-time project, and people must work together to get their own security practices, remote work is likely to remain the norm for many companies even as the world continues to reopen, and the accompanying security challenges will not simply disappear, with many open credentials available for sale via the dark web, but using unique passwords randomly created across different accounts, and investing in solutions Built-in privacy is a good place to start.
Under the light, technological tips,
Digital Security, Digital Transformation, Dark Web
