Data breaches happen every day. 

In January alone, we witnessed the ‘Mother of all Breaches’ (MOAB).  A MOAB refers to a dataset of records from thousands of compiled leaks, breaches and privately sold databases. The leak, containing 26 billion records, impacted over 100m+ brands, including Tencent, Weibo, X (Twitter) and Adobe. 

This dataset contains sensitive data, which threat actors can leverage for various attacks, including cyber attacks and unauthorised access to personal and work accounts.  

Your personal data is a valuable currency – one that is worth protecting. But what if it’s already on the dark web? Can you reverse this damage? Let’s find out. 

What Is Dark Web Monitoring? 

It’s very likely your personal data is on the dark web. This could include compromised passwords, breached credentials and financial data. And if it falls into the wrong hands, you’ll have much more to worry about. 

Dark web monitoring involves searching and tracking your organisation’s confidential data on the dark web. Many tools are available, such as Dark Invader, which we recently partnered with to offer a FREE trial to all clients and podcast subscribers. 

Dark web monitoring tools uncover leaked or stolen information that is maliciously being sold and shared with other threat actors. They crawl the dark web in real time, alerting organisations as threats emerge.  

Why Use Dark Web Monitoring?

You may wonder – “What good is finding my personal data if it’s already leaked?”. Well, dark web monitoring tools don’t just uncover leaked data; they also identify potential cyber security threats before they materialise. 

Dark Invader can expose risks, including third-party breaches, impersonation, unintentional leaks and probable threats like ransomware. Their ThreatPortal will offer advice, allowing you to prevent threat actors from leveraging your data for a cyber attack. 

The best defence is being proactive, not reactive. Combining dark web monitoring tools with the help of a cyber security consultant will ensure your organisation’s data and reputation are kept safe. 

How Does Personal Data Get on the Dark Web?

Everything has a price –  including your personal data. Before we get into the how, we must understand why criminals are harvesting your data.

Threat actors steal, sell, and share personal data for several malicious reasons. The main purpose is to profit from your misfortune. You could face litigation, ICO fines, and brand reputation and clientele loss. 

These threat actors will employ phishing attacks, malware and ransomware. They’ll also exploit insecure networks and poor cyber hygiene, leading to data breaches. 

Achieving a Cyber Secure Culture

If your company’s data is on the dark web, you must act fast. Like subject access requests (SARs), it’s your responsibility to act before any more data, including your customers’, is exploited. 

Aside from using Dark Invader, here are our best practices for mitigating threats:

1. Cyber Security Training

Is your team current with the latest threats, best practices and regulations? Our cyber security training will eliminate cyber security gaps, ensuring your team is well prepared to combat threats as they come your way. 

2. Strong Cyber Hygiene 

Poor cyber hygiene is one of the biggest cyber security threats in 2024. Establish clear guidelines for good cyber security and set measures for incident response and disaster recovery. 

Ensure your team prioritises cyber hygiene practices, including patch management, multi-factor authentication, and VPN use. 

3. Pentesting

A penetration test (or pen test) is a simulated cyber attack against your company devices, IT infrastructure and systems, mobile and web applications and more. 

As part of our penetration testing, we’ll identify weaknesses criminals could exploit and align your cyber security with compliance requirements. 

4. Cyber Security Consultant

Cyber security is complex, and it’s our job to make it easy. Our expert consultants will improve your cyber security defences and mitigate the risk of potential data breaches and cyber attacks. 

Stay Compliant with Data Protection People

At Data Protection People, compliance is the leading force behind our cyber security and data protection services. We’ve helped clients in the public, commercial and third sector achieve compliance with ISO 27001 and the UK GDPR. 

Contact our consultants today if you need help mitigating risks and staying compliant.