Is Dark Web Monitoring Really Enough To Protect Businesses?

Monitoring the dark web is a costly undertaking. This isn't a secret. However, it has become cheaper over the years.

22:55 28 December 2022

Monitoring the dark web is a costly undertaking. This isn't a secret. However, it has become cheaper over the years; it is still something that only medium to large businesses invests in. Although, this makes sense. A small business will rarely face a significant threat online. After all, most hackers and bad actors wouldn't have much to gain targeting small businesses. 

Still, many people wonder whether these services are enough to protect businesses.

What Is Dark Web Monitoring?

As you may know, dark web monitoring is all about keeping tabs on what is being said about your business on the more hidden parts of the internet.

This helps identify threats before they become a real problem or reduce the impact of threats that have already come to fruition.

These services have helped to catch everything from hacking attempts to DDOS attacks and the sale of essential documents and files (including customer information) related to a business. 

Dark Web Monitoring Won't Catch Everything...But It Will Catch Most Things

Software monitoring the deep web has come on in leaps and bounds over the years.

You must remember that many people carry out illicit activities on the dark web because they want to remain hidden. Up until recently, it was challenging to spot them.

However, tools have now evolved where most threats can be identified quickly. Tools can scan countless potential threat sources and identify them. How this is accomplished will depend on the company monitoring the dark web. It will also depend on the type of threats a company may face.

Of course, potential bad actors know that these services are out there targeting them. This means they constantly need to change how they do things to stay clear of the monitors. Although thankfully, this is becoming harder and harder for them to do.

Because of this, dark web monitoring should be able to catch the vast majority of potential threats online, mainly because many of those threats must be in the public eye somewhat (selling information, requesting hacks, etc.), and this is fantastic. However, it will only catch some of the threats out there. Some stuff will never be discussed online, and, as we said, bad actors are going to considerable lengths to hide some of their actions.

This means that it is worth many companies investing in dark web monitoring services, but it may only provide some things that a company needs, mainly if they are high-value. 

The Human Element Is Also Important 

You must remember that dark web monitoring services will mostly be done via software. This software can pick up keywords and use other techniques to identify potential threats.

However, the threat is only going to be potential. It will still require the human element to look at what the software has flagged up to determine whether something is a viable threat (in most cases, it isn't).

Many companies that provide dark web monitoring services will combine software and humans for the most effective threat detection. Using human scanning can help to increase monitoring. Humans can look for things that software cannot. You will find that many larger companies will have humans active in threat detection both on the dark web and elsewhere.

Every combines to create a neat little dark web monitoring package.