The dark web is a marketplace for stolen data, making it essential to monitor your sensitive information's presence.
For both individuals and organizations, this guide helps you identify data to protect, understand monitoring, and choose a secure service for comprehensive threat surveillance.
Identify the data you want to protect
Before choosing a dark web monitoring service, understand what your most valuable data is.
Personal data:
- Email addresses
- Passwords
- Government identification numbers
- Any other personally identifiable information (PII)
Business data:
- Corporate login portals
- Employee directories
- Proprietary intellectual property
- Customer databases
- Financial records
High-risk information should be your top priority due to potential financial and reputational damage. Common high-risk data categories include:
- Administrative and privileged account credentials
- Banking and financial account information
- Healthcare records
- Government identification numbers
- Corporate email systems
- Customer payment information
- Intellectual property
Assess your digital footprint to determine which categories apply to your situation, aiding in the selection of an appropriately covered monitoring service.
Learn how dark web monitoring works
The dark web is the unindexed part of the internet accessed using special browsers like Tor, and it hosts considerable illicit activity.
Understand the difference between scanning and monitoring approaches:
| ONE-TIME SCAN | CONTINUOUS MONITORING |
| Single lookup of known breach databases | Real-time crawling of the dark web |
| Provides historical snapshot | Detects new exposures as they occur |
| Limited to previously discovered breaches | Covers emerging threats |
| Usually free or low-cost | Requires subscription for ongoing service |
| Good for initial assessment | Essential for long-term protection |
Effective services automatically comb through billions of records on the dark web to identify threats quickly, then notify you in real time for fast remediation.
Verify the service's safety and privacy policies
Evaluate dark web monitoring services based on their security practices and security standard compliance, not just their detection capabilities.
Security practices to look for:
- Encryption: AES-256 encryption is the widely used, open-source standard for securing sensitive information.
- Zero-knowledge architecture: This type of security architecture ensures the provider cannot access your data.
Compliance and certifications that may apply:
- GDPR: European privacy standards
- CCPA: California residents' data rights
- SOC 2: Security, availability, and confidentiality
- ISO 27001: Information security management
- HIPAA: Healthcare-related information
Compare coverage and pricing
Each service is different, so match features with your specific needs.
Credential managers like Dashlane offer real-time dark web monitoring. When a breach is detected, it can:
- Flag affected passwords
- Provide clear remediation steps
- Generate strong passwords
- Give business admins organization-wide insights
Pricing models for dark web monitoring services vary:
- Subscription based: Monthly or annual fees
- Per user: Costs based on number of individuals covered
- Per asset: Pricing tied to monitored email addresses or domains
- Tiered plans: Different features at varying price points
Weigh the cost against potential financial impacts of a breach when choosing a service.
Next steps: Set up alerts, respond, and stay secure
After selecting a monitoring service, establish response procedures to maximize protection.
Immediate actions if data is found:
- If it’s a work password, notify your IT or security team
- Change your compromised passwords
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) if you haven’t already
- Monitor financial accounts for unauthorized activity
Ongoing monitoring best practices:
- For work, make sure you know how to properly report if your work information is found on the dark web
- Always review alerts from your dark web monitoring service right away
- Periodically assess if your dark web monitoring service still meets your needs
Continuous monitoring and proactive measures create multiple defense layers against cybercriminals to protect your data at work and at home.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I scan for stolen credentials?
New breaches happen every day, so it’s best to enable continuous monitoring for real-time alerts.
Can a monitoring service expose my data while scanning?
Reputable services like Dashlane use zero-knowledge architecture and strong encryption, ensuring your data remains protected during scans. They compare encrypted versions of your information against stolen data without exposing actual credentials.
How do I integrate alerts with Dashlane?
Dashlane offers dark web monitoring for every personal and business plan. Dashlane can flag compromised credentials and generate strong replacements seamlessly.
What if the service flags data that isn't mine?
Verify the source and check your records. If it's a false positive, update your monitoring preferences to reduce alerts. Similar emails or forgotten accounts may trigger notifications, and many services allow marking false positives for improved accuracy.
This content was created with the assistance of AI
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