18 Essential Data Security Metrics to Monitor Now
Data Security Best Practices Security Research
What are data security metrics? Security metrics are like your system’s pulse check. They’re quantifiable measurements …
- Breachsense
2. Zerofox
3. Heroic
4. SpyCloud
5. HackNotice
6. Have I Been Pwned
7. Cyber Intelligence House
8. Constella Intelligence
9. Flashpoint
10. Flare
Have you been burned by bad dark web monitoring tools that were nothing but snake oil?
Want a way to differentiate between the wheat and the chaff?
According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 report, it took organizations over 200 days to identify a breach and then another 73 days to contain it.
The same study showed the correlation between how long it took to contain the breach to the overall cost of the breach.
According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 86% of breaches involve stolen, weak, or default passwords.
Security teams need dark web monitoring tools to reset their leaked credentials before they’re exploited.
In this post, we’ll cover what dark web monitoring is, the features you need, and the top 10 tools out there today.
Contents
What is dark web monitoring
Dark web monitoring is a service that involves scanning, searching, and analyzing the dark web to identify and track the illegal trading or sharing of sensitive information, such as credentials, financial information, intellectual property, or other confidential materials.
The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines. This includes not only tor sites, but Telegram channels and dark web forums requiring authentication.
The purpose of dark web monitoring is to help organizations detect if their sensitive information has been compromised and is being sold or shared on the dark web.
By identifying the issue early, they can mitigate the risk before criminals exploit the data. Typical actions include updating passwords, implementing security measures based on the leaked data, or alerting authorities.
Dark web monitoring services use various tools to scan private websites, criminal forums, and marketplaces on the dark web.
They index specific data such as email addresses, social security numbers, credit card numbers, session tokens, internal company documents, or other sensitive information.
What causes data breaches
In order to understand how dark web monitoring tools work, it’s important to understand what causes data breaches in the first place.
Data breaches occur for a number of reasons. These range from technological vulnerabilities to human error.
Here are the top 5 primary data breach causes:
- Weak or Stolen Credentials
- Human error
- Malware
- Insider threats
- Outdated or misconfigured software
RECOMMENDED READING: 5 Most Common Causes of Data Breaches
Who needs dark web monitoring
Dark web monitoring is essential for any company with access to sensitive data.
Common use cases include:
- Businesses and Organizations: Companies of all sizes use dark web monitoring tools to protect their customer data and intellectual property. This is especially important in regulated industries that handle sensitive information, like finance, healthcare, and legal services.
- Financial Institutions: Banks, credit unions, and other financial organizations need dark web monitoring to detect potential threats to their customers’ financial information, such as credit card numbers, account details, and social security numbers.
- Government Agencies: Government bodies use these tools to protect national security information, prevent identity theft of its citizens, and detect potential threats. They also use it to comply with regulations and to prevent leaks that could compromise public safety or national interests.
- Healthcare Organizations: Hospitals, clinics and health insurance providers use dark web monitoring tools to protect patient information and to comply with healthcare privacy laws (like HIPAA in the U.S.)
- Educational Institutions: Schools and universities use dark web monitoring to protect student records, financial information, research data, and to comply with privacy standards (like FERPA in the United States).
- Legal Firms: Law practices handle a vast amount of sensitive and confidential client information, including personal data, financial records, and proprietary business information. Dark web monitoring can help detect if any of this information has been compromised and is being circulated or sold on the dark web.
- IT and Offensive Cybersecurity Teams: Security teams use dark web monitoring tools as a part of their broader defensive infrastructure to gather intelligence about emerging threats and cybercrime trends. DevSecOps teams run email dark web checks to ensure that employee email credentials haven’t been compromised. Pen testers and red teams use the data to escalate privileges during engagements.
- Retailers: Retailers often possess a large amount of customer data, including personal information and payment details. Dark web monitoring can help prevent fraud, maintain compliance and prevent breaches leading to reputational damage.
- Private Individuals: One of the primary benefits for private individuals is the early detection of personal information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card details, or bank account information, being sold or shared on the dark web. This can help folks take quick action to prevent identity theft and financial fraud.
- Non-profit Organizations (NPOs): NPOs often handle sensitive data, including donor information, financial records, and personal details of beneficiaries. Dark web monitoring can help detect if any of this information has been compromised and is circulating on the dark web.
RECOMMENDED READING: How To Find Data Breaches
Can you scan the dark web for free?
Yes, free scanners (like the one provided by Breachsense) allow you to scan the dark web for your compromised credentials.
These services typically search third-party breaches, infostealer logs, or combo lists for your data.
However, the free scans are often limited in scope — they typically only check a portion of the dark web, provide limited details, and most importantly do not include real-time monitoring.
For comprehensive monitoring, paid services provide you with actionable data enabling your security team to respond quickly to threats in order to prevent further damage.
Key features to look for in a dark web monitoring solution
Dark web monitoring is an essential tool in an organization’s cyber defenses.
When looking for a dark web monitoring solution, there are several key features to consider:
- Comprehensive Data Set: The solution should use a combination of OSINT and HumInt to index a wide range of data sources. These commonly include monitoring the dark web, hacker forums, darknet markets, paste sites, potential phishing sites, Telegram channels, ransomware gangs, and other hidden services where stolen data is often traded.
- Real-Time Alerts: The ability to receive real-time or near-real-time alerts when your organization’s data is detected on the dark web is crucial for timely response and mitigation.
- API Support: The solution should have easy API integration to allow complete automation and end-to-end remediation.
- Integration with Existing Systems: Dark web monitoring tools should integrate with the rest of your existing security stack, like SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems and your SOC (Security Operations Center).
- Incident Response Tools: The tool should enable incident response investigators to understand who a threat actor is, other usernames and passwords used by the attacker, as well the ability to pivot on various pieces of information to build a comprehensive picture of an attack.
- Ease of Use and Customization: The software should be user-friendly and intuitive. The goal should be to integrate the data and workflow into an organization’s current security stack.
RECOMMENDED READING: The 15 Best Dark Web Monitoring Tools for MSPs
Top 10 dark web monitoring solutions
1. Breachsense
Breachsense provides a real-time data breach monitoring solution to help organizations protect against online fraud, account takeovers, and upcoming attacks. The platform indexes a large variety of sources, including third-party breaches, stealer logs, leaked session cookies, employee credentials, and company data leaked or sold on the dark web. Leaked data from criminal markets, ransomware attacks, and upcoming attacks are indexed as well.
Breachsense supports automated alerts via multiple channels whenever sensitive data is exposed and integrates seamlessly with existing security SIEM and SOC solutions. Breachsense is particularly useful for offensive security teams, mid-market to large enterprises, and government organizations.
2. ZeroFox
ZeroFox specializes in digital risk protection with a focus on social media and brand security. The platform monitors social media platforms for threats and provides phishing detection and takedown services. It is designed to protect organizations from digital threats that can impact brand reputation and customer trust. ZeroFox is ideal for mid-market to high-end enterprises with a significant online presence and brand image concerns.
3. Heroic
Heroic provides cybersecurity solutions focused on threat detection and response. The company’s services include analytics and incident response capabilities to identify and mitigate various cyber threats. Heroic’s approach aims to defend against digital risks before they escalate. Their solutions are a good fit for large enterprises.
4. SpyCloud
SpyCloud offers solutions for preventing account takeovers and exposing data breaches, with an emphasis on dark web monitoring. The platform analyzes breach data for recovery and helps secure user and employee accounts from fraud and identity theft. It’s tailored to combat online fraud and protect sensitive data, making it suitable for large enterprises.
5. HackNotice
HackNotice provides a threat intelligence platform offering real-time alerts and personalized risk analysis. It focuses on improving cybersecurity awareness and protection for individuals and businesses. The service monitors for data breaches and provides actionable security information, making it a valuable tool for individuals and businesses of all sizes.
6. Have I Been Pwned
Have I Been Pwned is a widely-used online service that allows individuals to check if their personal data was compromised in a 3rd party data breach. It offers a searchable database of exposed credentials and provides notifications for new breaches. This service is geared towards individuals concerned about online privacy and security.
7. Cyber Intelligence House
Cyber Intelligence House offers cyber exposure analysis and vulnerability detection services. It helps organizations assess their online assets and identify security weaknesses. The company’s solutions are geared towards providing vulnerability management, making them suitable for mid to large-sized enterprises.
8. Constella Intelligence
Constella Intelligence provides identity monitoring and fraud detection services. The platform is designed to protect organizations from identity theft and digital fraud. Constella Intelligence is ideal for mid-market to large enterprises.
9. Flashpoint
Flashpoint specializes in Business Risk Intelligence derived from dark web insights. The company provides intelligence solutions, including threat actor mapping and monitoring of criminal marketplaces. Its services are tailored for large enterprises and government entities.
10. Flare
Flare provides a cybersecurity platform that specializes in dark web monitoring and threat exposure management. It offers automated threat detection across millions of dark web data points, providing businesses with actionable intelligence to make informed decisions about their security risks.
Is it possible to remove your information from the dark web?
Once your information is on the dark web, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove it.
The dark web operates in a decentralized and anonymous manner, making it hard to trace or control the spread of your data.
However, you can take steps to mitigate the damage, such as changing passwords, terminating leaked session tokens, monitoring your financial accounts, and freezing your credit.
While removing your data is virtually impossible, taking proactive security measures is key to reducing future risks.
