What to Do if Your Info Is Found on the Dark Web

If you know anything about the dark web then you know having your information published there is bad news. What exactly is the dark web, and how does your information end up there? What should you do when you find out your info is on the dark web? Are you safe from an MitM attack if you use it? The dark web is the “hidden” part of the Internet that’s not accessible through a regular web browser. The content on the dark web is encrypted and requires special authorization to access. The most common way to surf the dark web is through Tor , a tool which hides IP addresses and locations. Because the dark web is anonymous, it’s home to a lot of shady or illegal activities — drug deals, arms sales, and worse. The dark web is also the ideal place for criminals to buy and sell identity information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, medical records, passports, and email addresses. Experian estimates that a SSN can go for $1, a diploma for $400, and a U.S. passport for $1000. You may have also heard of the deep web, and it’s important to distinguish it from the dark web. The deep web isn’t sinister, it’s just the part of the Internet that doesn’t get indexed by search engines. Pages that require sign-in or authentication, like online banking dashboards or your Amazon shopping cart are part of the deep web. Experts estimate that the deep web makes up 90% of the Internet. Because threats from the dark web have become so prevalent, many companies have started offering dark web monitoring services. Many others will do a one-time dark web scan of your information to see if it’s out there. WhatsUp Gold , Have I Been Pwned ?, and Echosec Beacon are all legitimate dark web scanners you can use to check if your information is being shared. If dark web monitoring comes with your antivirus software or credit card company, it’s important to note that these services only monitor . They do not take any action to prevent your information from ending up on the dark web — that’s your job. When discussing dark web monitoring, you might also wonder, what is a web beacon? A web beacon is a small, often invisible graphic or script embedded in emails or websites to track user behavior and gather data. Understanding this can help you better protect your information online. after the paragraph that ends with WhatsUp Gold, Have I Been Pwned?, and Echosec Beacon are all legitimate dark web scanners you can use to check if your information is being shared. and before the paragraph that begins with If dark web monitoring comes with your antivirus software or credit card company, it’s important to note that these services only monitor. Unfortunately, once your info is on the dark web, there’s nothing you can do to remove it. But you can beef up your personal data security to ensure that anyone who has that information won’t pose a threat to you. 1. What kind of information was found? How you proceed will depend on the type of information that was found. If it was a credit card number or anything related to your bank, freeze your cards and accounts immediately and contact your bank about next steps. For your driver’s license, contact your local DMV about getting a new card. If it was your passport number, report it to the U.S. State Department. For a leaked Social Security number, contact the Social Security Administration. If your email address was shared, you should change all the passwords for accounts you have linked to that email address. You might start noticing spoofed emails as well. Alert your email provider right away. 2. Scan your computer for viruses It’s possible that a hacker may have already compromised your security if they got your info from the dark web. Run a check with your antivirus software on your computer, smartphone, and other devices with operating systems. 3. Change all passwords If your email was shared, changing passwords is a definite must. But even if it wasn’t your email address that appeared on the dark web, you should still consider resetting passwords for as many of your accounts as you can — especially accounts in which you have payment information saved. While you can’t remove your info from the dark web once it’s there, you can take steps to prevent anyone from leaking your identity or personal data in the first place: Finding out that your info is on the dark web can be scary. As long as you know what’s at stake and how to react, then it shouldn’t cause too many problems for you. And remember, the best cybersecurity defense is always prevention.