The web isn’t quite as it seems. While the majority is accessible via your browser, there are parts of it that remain hidden and out of sight. For the most part, what happens on this “dark web” doesn’t impact on your firm. But sometimes, it can have massive ramifications, especially if criminals decide to use it to defraud you of money.
The Problem of the Dark Web
The dark web is a little different from the regular internet. The vast majority of it is mundane, back-end stuff that most people don’t care about. It is all of the boring pages that search engines don’t see the benefit of indexing because they don’t provide their users with value. Mostly, it is personal Facebook pages, data tables, and site maps.
The dark web, however, has a bit of a bad reputation. While part of it is a data repository, it is also a favorite haunt for criminals.
The dark web is a part of the internet that you can only access through specific software like Tor. Furthermore, communications across the dark internet are difficult to track, making it a hotbed for illegal activity.
Most modern businesses have no idea what is happening on the dark web. They assume that just because people are respecting their IP on the regular internet that the same thing is happening across the entire web. That might not necessarily be the case.
Typically, the media discusses the dark web in the context of regular criminal activity. But it is also something that can affect businesses. They need to keep an eye on it too to make sure that nobody is passing off their products and services as their own.
How the Dark Web Affects Your Firm
So how, precisely, do they do this?
The primary way to do it is to use services that actively track the dark web for any mentions of your firm. Often security companies will monitor third-party dark websites to ensure that they are not illegally distributing material.
Tracking doesn’t have to be costly either. Many companies take advantage of LifeLock promotion codes and other offers to reduce the amount that they pay overall.
Companies need to be aware that the internet is a dangerous place. The part of the web that search engines serve up is typically only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a vast amount of hidden activity taking place too, and it can be challenging to detect through traditional means.
Firms, therefore, need to put themselves in the shoes of their adversaries. They need to think carefully about how they would act, were they criminals intent on causing harm. It is not enough to secure your business network. You also need to keep a beady eye on what is going on out of sight, just to ensure that it does not impact your firm.
Despite law enforcement efforts, the dark web remains a hotbed of criminal activity. Dark web marketplaces continue, allowing people to buy pretty much whatever they like, often at vastly discounted prices.
