What Is The Dark Web Explained
Imagine surfing through the internet and finding yourself being advertised for sale. Crazy, right? Well, the dark web is an epicenter for illicit activity; and there’s no limit to what you can buy or sell there.
You are watching a video on YouTube; then, you head to Amazon to buy your grandma a birthday present. This type of browsing is taking place at the level of the Internet called the surface web. Beneath this is the deep web — a vast portion of the World Wide Web hidden from standard search engines like Google and Yahoo.
Technically, even your email services and Dropbox files form part of the deep web. Some call it the invisible/hidden web. The dark web exists below the deep web and as part of it. The two terms are often used interchangeably but are not similar. The dark web is associated with crime and illegal activity, like a dangerous street in an already anonymous neighborhood. Ironically, it’s the US Federal Government that mainly finances the dark web.
Why is this so, and why should a legal business that does not operate on the dark web, like yours, be aware of it? We’ll find out in a few.
First, here’s a quick overview and introduction to the basics of the dark web:
What’s The Origin Of The Dark Web And Why You Should Care?
Like other areas of the internet, the deep web grew with help from the U.S. government. Two research institutions in the U.S. Department of Defense began creating an anonymized and encrypted network in 1995. Based on the Naval Research Laboratory, the study sought a way to communicate with intelligence sources and US spies abroad without being noticed.
While this objective was achieved, stakeholders were wary of being traced and their traffic being intercepted and analyzed. As a solution, they opened the network to the public. With many users, tracing a single site would be close impossible. And that’s how the dark web troubles began. Cyberattackers saw a lifetime opportunity to launch attacks with absolute anonymity from anywhere across the globe, and it worked perfectly well.
So, why hasn’t the government shut it down after this catastrophic eventuality? Contrary to popular belief, the deep web is still mostly used for constructive activities. Besides, the network is open, hence challenging to control, even for the Federal Government.
What Are Some Of The Cybersecurity Risks Posed By The Dark Web? To protect your network, you must first understand the danger that you’re facing:
- The Dark Web Can Be Used to Launch Attacks on Your Network Anonymously: Sometimes, bad cyber actors will be in your systems for weeks and months, and you won’t notice. That’s because they have initiated the attack from the dark web and are just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
- The Dark Web Marketplace Can Be Used to Sell Your Credentials: Some cyber attackers will simply penetrate your systems, mine your data and consumer credentials, and then sell these to other actors. Even your competitors would be glad to buy your inside information and use it against your company. The dark web provides a perfect marketplace to advertise and sell such ‘goods.’
How about personally navigating the dark web to check if your data is up for sale? It’s not safe. You could expose your network to more danger. Tracing dark-web sites is not easy either; they’re spontaneous and keep on changing addresses.
How Can You Protect Your Nashville Business From The Dark Web? No organization is safe; always assume that yours is the next target. Once you have a clear understanding of the risks, prepare to avert and mitigate them:
- Deploy Reliable Dark Web Monitoring and Response Software: They scout the dark web for company-related data and appraise you in case of any matches. So, you’re always a step ahead of bad cyber actors.
- Occasionally Assess Your Network: How strong are your intrusion detection and protection measures? In the process, you’ll discover vulnerabilities and threats already in your systems.
- Train Your Staff on Dark Web Threats and How to Avert Them: Proper training will help your employees identify and respond to hacks and breach attempts in time.
The truth is that the government is not eager to shut down the dark web. It’s upon business and IT leaders to adapt accordingly and protect their networks. Kraft Technology Group is here to help you out. We handle everything: From identifying and managing the right dark web monitoring and response software, monitoring your systems 24/7, network assessment and dark web scanning, and staff training.
