The terms “deep web” and “dark web” are used interchangeably, however there is a difference between the two. Deep web refers to anything on the internet that is not indexed and by a search engine like Google or Firefox. The deep web is usually anything that requires sign-in credentials in order to access. The dark web is a subset of the deep web and it requires a specific browser to access.
No one really knows the size of the dark web because it is difficult to measure a portion of the internet that is not accessible. The dark web is not all for illicit purposes, however, it is a perfect ground for those who do have illicit intentions.
Since there is little to no monitoring about what goes on in the dark web. Information such as credit card numbers, stolen credentials, hacked software, and much more can be found in the dark web. Often, bidding sites will sell information stolen from individuals to those who are willing to pay for it. Dark web websites look similar to regular websites, but there are some key differences. For one, the URLs are different. Instead of ending in .com or .co, dark web sites end in .onion. Onion is a special-use domain suffix designating an anonymous service reachable via the Tor network.
The dark web has flourished thanks to the use of cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. Cryptocurrency enables an anonymous transaction to take place between the two parties. Nearly all dark web commerce sites conduct transactions in bitcoin or some variant, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to do business. The inherent anonymity of the place attracts scammers and thieves, so you are never guaranteed to receive your purchase.
One of the biggest products to be sold on the dark web is stolen information. This stolen information is obtained from companies and individuals via methods like phishing.
Firestorm Cyber has services to protect our customers from data leaks and breaches that exposes your information to criminals. At Firestorm, we use Dark Web ID to monitor information such as emails and other pertaining information. By providing active dark web monitoring, we are able to limit the amount of information exposed and available to be sold to scammers. Through Dark Web ID monitoring, anything from personal credentials, domains, IP addresses and email addresses are monitored and protected. In conjunction with our other services, your business and information will be protected from any form of attack. Give Firestorm a call to obtain more information on how to further secure your business.