Having your business exposed on the dark web can be a daunting thought but knowing the facts can help you protect yourself.
An independent study by Marsh McLennan found that if your organization has compromised accounts on the dark web, you are 2.56 times more likely to experience a cyber incident.1 This means that being on the dark web increases your risk of facing a Cyberattack.
Here’s what being exposed to dark web listings may mean for your business.
Dark Web Exposure & Cybersecurity Risk
Searchlight Cyber, a company that focuses on dark web intelligence, recently released a study with the Marsh McLennan Cyber Risk Intelligence Center. The study reveals that if any data about your organization appears on the dark web, your risk of a Cyberattack increases significantly.
The Center looked at Searchlight’s dark web data by analyzing 9,410 organizations from 2020 to 2023, which had an overall breach rate of 3.7%. They wanted to see if there was a link between data breaches and dark web findings from the year before a breach occurred.
The study, titled The Correlation Between Dark Web Exposure and Cybersecurity Risk, found that all nine dark web intelligence sources from Searchlight are connected to higher Cybersecurity risk.
There’s also a multi-variable analysis that revealed that using several dark web sources together gives a better indication of increased cyber risk. Specifically, Paste Results, OSINT Results, and Dark Web Market Listings were most strongly linked to cyber insurance loss frequency, along with other factors.
In a press release statement by Ben Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Searchlight Cyber, “The core finding of Marsh McLennan’s analysis is that any data related to your organization on the dark web is highly correlated with your chance of a Cyberattack. Cybercriminals plan their attacks on dark web forums, marketplaces, and in hidden communication channels, and the study has quantified the risk of each of these areas of dark web exposure for the first time.”
Data Breaches On The Rise In 2024
In the first half of 2024, there were 1,571 data compromises, marking a 14% increase from the same time last year, according to a report by the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps victims of identity crime.
A notable case in April 2024 occurred when AT&T reported a major data breach affecting up to 73 million current and former customers. The company found that specific data fields from its records were included in a dataset released on the dark web.
The affected data varied by customer but may have included full names, email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, AT&T account numbers, and passcodes, as detailed in the company’s filing at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Protecting Your Business From Dark Web Exposure
To protect your business from dark web exposure, it’s important to take some key steps. First, be aware that nearly half (or 47%) of U.S. businesses have faced huge revenue loss because of a data security incident, according to a recent survey by Arcserve.
So, one of the most effective ways to safeguard your business is by enhancing your email security. Phishing attacks, where hackers trick you into giving away sensitive information, are common. For example, a hacker might send you an email that looks like it’s from a trusted source, like a bank, asking for your login details.
Using strong security measures, such as spam filters and multi-factor authentication (MFA), you can reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams. You should educate your employees about social engineering tactics so they can recognize suspicious emails and fight shy of sharing sensitive information.
FAQ
How Do I Know If I Am On The Dark Web?
To know if you’re on the dark web, check your email and personal information using dark web monitoring tools like “Have I Been Pwned?” free web service. These services help you see if your data has been leaked in breaches. Keep an eye out for unusual activity in your accounts, as that can also indicate your information might be compromised.
Should I Be Worried If My Information Is On The Dark Web?
You should be worried if your information is on the dark web. It means that your personal details, like passwords or credit card numbers, could be sold to criminals. This could lead to identity theft, where someone uses your information to make purchases or commit fraud.
Can I Remove My Information From The Dark Web?
Yes, it can be very hard to remove your information from the dark web once it’s out there. While you can’t ask sellers to take it down, you can take steps to protect yourself. 2Secure recommends using email security, backup and recovery, web application security, and endpoint protection to help safeguard your personal information and reduce the risk of further breaches.
Source:
- Study Finds Dark Web Exposure Increases the Risk of a Cyberattack. (2024, September 23). Businesswire.com. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240923844281/en/Study-Finds-Dark-Web-Exposure-Increases-the-Risk-of-a-Cyberattack
