What Is the Dark Web?

According to The World Bank, over half of the people on the planet now connect to the Internet daily. For more developed regions like North America and Europe, these numbers can be as high as 89%. What the majority of users are unaware of is that there are different layers to the Internet. Each layer serves diverse purposes and poses various risks.

The ‘Surface Web’ or ‘Public Web’ comprises most websites you are ever likely to browse (see Figure 1). It makes up the blogs, shopping sites, and many other pages that you visit every day. Just slightly below this relatively calm surface lies the ‘Deep Web.’ It contains the intranets run by all sorts of businesses and organizations, including online banking, email accounts, educational portals, government databases, and many other web sites that require you to authenticate your identity before you can gain access.

Figure 1: Surface, Deep, and Dark Web

While the Surface Web and Deep Web are relatively benign, and the vast majority of activities conducted within them are legitimate, the ‘Dark Web’ is a different story.

Dangers of the Dark Web

The Dark Web is a subregion of the Deep Web that has become a haven for various activities; some legal, many not. Beyond the routine verification services and devices used in the Deep Web, Dark Web websites use anonymity software services and encryption software that make their content challenging to decipher and traffic near impossible to track.
While you will find legitimate sites where security is important in the Dark Web, like those used for communications between law enforcement agencies, estimates are that more than half the traffic is illegal. So, while the Dark Web is not illegal to visit, if you were to plan to browse the Dark Web, you would need to proceed with the utmost caution.

Why You Need To Be Concerned About the Dark Web and Cybersecurity

The Dark Web’s most significant threat comes via two channels for individuals and businesses:

1. First is that the Dark Web is a haven for people using it to launch phishing and malware campaigns to compromise security. Malware and phishing attacks can lead to serious disruptions for both businesses and their employees. This includes losing access to critical data and worse.

2. The second is even more disconcerting. There are marketplaces on the Dark Web where personal and company information is bought, sold, and traded. So, if an employee suffers a data breach, it can also jeopardize a business’ security and, by extension, the business’ clients

Increasingly, organizations are becoming sitting ducks for cyberattacks until they develop a proactive strategy for safeguarding against them. Even if you’re a sole proprietor or have just a few employees, small business cyber security should be top of mind. Hackers target all types of businesses and in all industries. Large and small company data is valuable and can pose a security risk.

How To Stay Safe Online

One of the best first steps toward protecting against cyber security threats is to assess if your data is already available on the Dark Web. You can safely verify if your data is compromised and available on the Dark Web with the assistance of a third-party company that specializes in doing Dark Web Assessments, like Athreon. Athreon can also guide you to mitigate any damage.

Of course, to promote computer security and privacy, education is essential to protect your business assets and staff. So, hiring Internet security professionals who can assess and train your personnel in avoiding threats is critical. With 92% of all data breaches stemming from human error, providing thorough and regular Cybersecurity Training education is one of the strongest defenses you can take. Contact Athreon for a free baseline security risk assessment and begin protecting your company against cyberthreats today.