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How to Find if Your Information is on the Dark Web?

Written by Anuraag Singh ~ Modified: 19-03-2022 ~ Cyber Tip ~ 6 Minutes Reading

Information on Dark Web

Did you know, whenever you log in to your email account, make payment via online banking, stream favourite sites, etc, you’re accessing the deep web?  Now, you must be questioning, what is the deep web? Is the dark web and the deep web related? How to find if your information is on the dark web? And, if it is, how do I remove my personal information from the dark web?

Let’s first grasp the difference between the “dark web” and the “dark web” first.

Deep Web vs Dark Web

The deep web or invisible web is part of WWW but is not completely accessible by search engines like Google or Yahoo. Approximately 90% of the websites come under the deep web.  

Whereas the dark web lies inside the deep web.

Usually, the dark web is utilized for illegal activities. It consists of websites that are not indexed by traditional search engines. The dark web uses encryption software to hide its locations and its IP addresses are intentionally hidden.

Now, you can imagine, if your information is on the dark web then it’s definitely not in the safe hands. So, to find if your information is on the dark web, you are going to need the assistance of a cyber expert. As the finding process is very complex, IT geniuses like Anuraag Singh will systematically do the work for you.

In addition to that, you need to know the type and how to find if your information is on the dark web.

What Information is Stored on the Dark Web?

As you know the dark web is a small part of the deep web, so the following data is stored on the dark web:

  • Credit card and debit card account number 
  • Social security number
  • Information related to ID proof such as Driving License, Passport, Aadhar Number, etc.
  • Login credentials for social media accounts or online payment services like Paytm or Google Pay, etc.
  • Your Netflix or Amazon Prime account details 

From above, you can clearly see the data stored on the dark web are really sensitive. 

As you know accessing the dark web is not that easy, but hackers are also improvising themselves with the latest technology to access the dark web. 

However, the good news is, through the Dark Web Surveillance service you will get to know whether your information is on the dark web or not. But how? 

Well, here experienced cyber professionals will keep an eye on approximately 700,000 dark web pages and send you notifications after finding any of your sensitive data on the dark web. Then, you will get an answer to your question ‘how to find if your information is on the dark web’ and take action accordingly.

Hence, it is also essential to know the methods used by them to enter the evil side of the web.

How are they Accessing Information on the Dark Web?

The dark web was originally developed for government intelligence departments to anonymize themselves from tracking activities.

On the other hand, the dark web has become an illegal platform for doing nefarious activities. There are several ways present for diving into the dark side of the web. 

  • TOR(The Onion Router) project, basically a browser, permits access to explore the websites with the ‘.onion’ registry address. It encrypts the data, so, no one can see it easily.  With time, the platform was made public and anyone can download it for free of cost.
  • Another way is via I2P(Invisible Internet Provider). It is an open-source(free of charge) that allows anonymous peer-to-peer communication.

Though, the dark web is famous for malicious activities. But, cyber security professionals also anonymously use this for tracing the online criminal movements(Personal information selling, illegal drug dealing, etc.)

Understanding the responsibility as a cyber expert, Anuraag, can easily deal with the cyber attack by utilizing the Dark Web cyber threat Intelligence Mining service.

This service includes the process by which most unreachable corners of the internet can be accessed. That will protect your information from the dark web and strengthen cyber security.

So far, you must have realized that the dark web has two sides. One is helping the web specialists and on the other hand, it is opening the gate for cyber threats.

Let’s discuss the types of threats on the dark web.

Different Cyber Threats on Dark Web

Though, the dark web is of mere help in providing privacy while browsing on the same. Still, it is not safe to surf through the dark side of the internet. It can attract unnecessary threats.

Some of these include:

1. Malevolent Software

The most common threat you may encounter while roaming on the dark web is malware. They are fully active and can easily exploit any network or device.

The malware present on the dark web could be spyware, ransomware, adware, phishing, etc. If your device has malware then you are risking your private information(Identity, login credentials, etc) to hackers.

However, through research and development, cyber specialists have come up with Anti-Spy detection services, Adware Removal services, etc to counter-attack and safeguard both your data and device.

2. Most Confidential Files at Risk

Many governments are taking over tor-based sites for executing top-secret missions which they don’t want to be traced.

But, cybercriminals are thinking fast and inventing new types of attacks. One of them is Cyber Espionage, where they target large reputed organizations to steal their critical data.

No matter how hard they try to take away valuable information from you, there is always a trained professional ready to save you from misery by using different methods to prevent espionage.

3. Scams

The dark web is like a black market for scammers to perform illegal stealing and selling of precious information.

Whether it’s stealing your identity, impostor as government agencies, or doing shameful acts like human trafficking, hackers don’t hesitate and utilize the dark web platform to carry out the same.

Thankfully, by keeping the importance of cybersecurity in mind, experienced security analysts have come up with Dark Web Scanning services to fight against Identity Theft and find out your identity is on the dark web.

Through Dark Web Scanning they will continuously monitor the ocean of databases present on the dark web. Experts will keep on looking for stolen usernames, passwords, credit cards numbers, etc., and will find out if there is any information on the dark web.

The dark web may tempt you to use the unaccessible browser for its privacy feature. But before entering into the dark web, make sure you made up your mind to do so. As discussed, the outcome could be severe!