What is the dark web?
The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and can only be accessed using special software, such as the Tor network. It is often associated with illicit activities – buying and selling of illegal substances, data, counterfeiting/ extortion of money, information leaks, offering cybercrime services, etc, and is known for its high level of anonymity for users. It is important to note that accessing the dark web can be illegal, and it can also be dangerous due to the potential for encountering malicious or illegal content or groups.
What types of cybercrime take place on the dark web?
The dark web fosters a number of cybercriminal activities as threat actors across the globe take advantage of its anonymity. The types of business-related cyber crimes on the dark web are as follows:
Buying and selling illegal goods: the dark web is often used to facilitate the buying and selling of illegal goods and information – such as drugs, illegal content, stolen personal data, corporate data, etc.
Scam advertisements: fraudsters may use the dark web to sell fake or counterfeit items or to advertise scam websites.
Data leaks: businesses may be targeted by hackers who gain access to their networks through the dark web. This can result in the theft of sensitive data, such as customer information or proprietary business information. The dark web contains all sorts of compromised data: credit and debit card details, access to user accounts, access to computers, personal information belonging to the citizens, access to servers and website administrator panels, and much more.
Malware: hackers may use the dark web to sell or distribute malware, such as viruses, ransomware, and spyware to infect a business’s network infrastructure and disrupt operations.
Services: the dark web may be used to advertise hacking services such as the ability to gain unauthorized access to a person’s or organization’s computer systems, and even run affiliate programs (as a part of the RaaS industry).
Web shells: these are malicious scripts that cybercriminals inject to maintain persistent access on compromised web servers. They are used as the second step after a system or network is compromised by exploiting vulnerabilities. As a result, threat actors can use the web shell as a persistent backdoor on the targeted web server and all connected systems. The main supplier of web shells on the dark web is a market called MagBo. Between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, more than 284,000 web shells were detected on this market.
Stealer logs: an increasingly sought-after way to gain access to corporate networks is stealer logs. While ‘stealer’ is a type of malware designed to steal sensitive information from a victim’s device, the stealer logs are the record of the stolen information. These logs are either sold for low prices or can be obtained from open sources. The three most popular conduits to sell the logs are underground marketplaces, underground Cloud of Logs, and manual sales. Owners of logs can use them to gain access to corporate networks.
Phishing attacks: scammers may use the dark web to buy lists of email addresses and use them to send phishing emails to employees, attempting to trick them into giving away sensitive information or login credentials.
It’s important to note that not all activities on the dark web are illegal, but it is generally considered a risky place to browse due to the potential for encountering illegal or malicious content on the dark web.
How do cybersecurity experts access the dark web?
The dark web is a large and complex network, and it can be difficult to locate specific information. Cybersecurity experts may use various tools and techniques to search the dark web, such as:
Specialized search engines: there are a number of specialized search engines that are designed to index the dark web and make it easier to find specific information. These search engines use specialized algorithms to scan the dark web and return results based on keywords or other search criteria.
Manual searches: cybersecurity experts may also search the dark web by manually visiting various sites and using keywords or other search criteria to locate specific information.
Intelligence gathering: the dark web cyber threat intelligence gathering is the process by which inaccessible corners of the internet are tapped into, to strengthen cybersecurity. Techniques involved are monitoring underground forums, to gather information about potential threats or vulnerabilities.
How to keep your business unexposed to the dark web?
It is important for businesses to protect themselves against threats on the dark web by implementing stringent security measures and regular monitoring to timely find exposed vulnerabilities.
Use two-factor identification (2FA): 2FA makes it virtually impossible for hackers to access your online accounts. Ensure that all of your accounts are protected with strong, unique passwords, and enable 2FA/MFA to add an extra layer of security.
Ensure website security: the website is the face of your brand, so make sure it is completely protected. Watch out for domain spoofing and IP address spoofing and ensure measures are in place to take down these attempts to protect both your IT infrastructure and your reputation. Know how Digital Risk Protection helps with your website security upkeep.
Keep your software updated: make sure that all known security vulnerabilities are patched by updating your operating system, web server, and third-party applications.
Install a firewall, anti-spyware, and antivirus software: to build a strong line of defense against malware attacks and phishing attempts.
Watch out for suspicious activity: regularly monitor your accounts and systems for suspicious activity, such as unauthorized login attempts, etc.
How can Group-IB help protect your business from the dark web?
Group-IB’s Digital Risk Protection helps detect illegitimate use of your brand and content in real time. This includes monitoring a range of open and dark web sources to uncover code repositories and other private information belonging to your organization.
Through leveraging Group-IB’s proprietary Threat Intelligence, the DRP uses adversary-centric insights to proactively protect organizations from cyberattacks and identify their underlying motives, attack vectors, and malicious infrastrcutre.
This helps organizations actively scout for potential data leaks or other intended threats against their business and allow mitigation before attacks occur. Learn more about Group-IB Digital Risk Protection.