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What is Dark Web Monitoring?
What is Dark Web Monitoring?

Protect your sensitive data from being leaked

Updated this week

Dark web monitoring is the practice of continuously scanning dark websites (such as hacker forums or marketplaces) for signs of leaked credentials. Dark web monitoring plays an important role in cybersecurity, giving users advance notice of danger so that they can secure vulnerable accounts.

How does a Dark Web Monitor work?

Dark Web Monitor frequently scans thousands of dark web pages known for trading in stolen credentials, looking for any signs of information associated with your assets. When Dark Web Monitor spies your information out in the wild, it will immediately notify you of the danger you’re in. Dark Web Monitor alerts let you take early action to secure vulnerable accounts — or, if the information had already been sold, identify which accounts may have been infiltrated by unscrupulous hackers.

What are the benefits of Dark Web Monitoring?

  1. Reduced risk of data breaches: Proactive monitoring helps identify and address potential vulnerabilities before cybercriminals exploit them.

  2. Enhanced brand reputation: Early detection and mitigation of threats can help protect the reputation and maintain customer trust.

  3. Compliance: Helps organizations comply with various data protection regulations, such as GDPR, by providing timely breach notifications.

  4. Early Threat Detection: This helps you know if your personal or business information, like passwords or emails, is being sold or shared on the dark web.

  5. Fraud Prevention: Alerts you before stolen data is used for things like identity theft or financial fraud.

  6. Business Security: Protects sensitive company information, preventing leaks that could harm reputation or operations.

  7. Cost Savings: Reduces potential financial losses by stopping cybercriminals early.

How to enable dark web monitoring?

To start using the dark web monitoring tool, you can enable it in your hPanel by navigating to hPanel dark web monitor, and click "Turn on dark web monitoring"

Then select the 'account email' or the 'Domain websites and emails' under the monitored assets

What to do if there is a breach alert

If you see an alert about breaches in your account, you should immediately take action.

  1. Update the passwords for the affected account with a strong, unique password.

  2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on the accounts to add an extra layer of security.

  3. Review all accounts associated with the compromised email address for any suspicious activity.

Best Practices to Avoid Data Exploitation.

Adopting robust security measures is critical to avoid your website or its data being exploited and found on the dark web. Here are best practices to enhance your website’s security and prevent sensitive data from leaking:

  1. Use Strong Authentication: Use strong passwords and enable multifactor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security.

  2. Secure Hosting: Choose a reliable hosting provider with built-in security features like SSL certificates, daily backups, and malware scanning.

  3. Keep Software Updated: Regularly update your CMS (e.g., WordPress), plugins, and server software to fix vulnerabilities hackers exploit.

  4. Deploy a WAF (Web Application Firewall): Protect your site from common attacks like SQL injection, XSS, and DDoS by using a WAF.

  5. Run Vulnerability Scans: Use tools like Sucuri to detect weak points in your website’s security.

  6. Restrict Access: Limit access to admin areas using IP whitelisting or VPNs, and only grant permissions to people who truly need them.

  7. Encrypt Data: Use HTTPS to encrypt data in transit and secure sensitive stored data using strong encryption methods.

  8. Monitor for Breaches: Use dark web monitoring services (e.g., Hostinger dark web monitoring tool) to check if your data has been leaked.

  9. Educate Users: Train your team to recognize phishing attempts, fake emails, and other social engineering tactics.

  10. Limit Data Collection: Collect only the information you need from users to reduce the impact of potential breaches.

  11. Secure File Uploads: Allow only certain file types to be uploaded, and scan all files for malware before storing them.

  12. Enable Domain Security Features: Use DNSSEC to protect against DNS spoofing, lock your domain to prevent unauthorized transfers, and hide your registration details with WHOIS privacy.

  13. Use Anti-Malware Tools: Regularly scan your website for malware using tools like Malwarebytes.

  14. Conduct Regular Security Audits: Periodically review your website and hosting account for vulnerabilities and unauthorized changes.

  15. Prepare an Incident Response Plan: Have a clear plan for handling breaches, including steps to isolate the issue, notify users, and secure affected systems.

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