An active trading arena, where information stolen from organizations is sold, exchanged, or exposed – sometimes without anyone in the organization knowing.
When your organization doesn’t monitor what’s being said about it – it’s blind. And that’s exactly what hackers exploit..
What is the darknet anyway??
TheDark Webis a part of the Internet that is not accessible through regular search engines. To access it, anonymous browsing is required using theTORnetwork or similar tools. It is home to illegal marketplaces, attack group forums, channels for selling stolen information, and services that are some legal, but most are not.
Among the information found there:
- Passwords stolen in phishing attacks or data leaks.
- Leaked internal documents – malicious or human error.
- Information about customers, suppliers, server locations, business plans.
- Offers to purchase access to intranets ("access for sale").
- Predictions for future attacks targeting your organization's name.
Example from the field
In one of our recent projects, we conducted a silent scan for a mid-sized industrial company. Inside one dark web forum, a list of usernames and passwords obtained from an external system was found, including access to the VP of Operations’ Office 365 account. The leak was not the result of a hack – but rather the reuse of a password on a compromised third-party website.
Without external monitoring – this would never have been discovered..
Why is it dangerous??
Information found on the darknet is not just sitting there for no reason. Attackers use it to:
- Carry out targeted attacks on officials.
- Access the systems directly (if the password is still active).
- To extract information for business purposes, industrial espionage or blackmail.
- Undermine customer trust – especially if the leak becomes public.
what can be done?
The good news: The darknet and the public internet can be monitored in a smart, legal, and discreet way. The advanced tools on the market make it possible:
- Continuous monitoring of email addresses, domains, usernames.
- Receive real-time notifications about new information.
- Classification of information by severity, and coordinated response (such as resetting passwords, investigating the source of the leak).
- Analyze trends and threats to anticipate future attacks.
how much does it cost?
Less than you might think. There are also solutions tailored to small and medium-sized businesses – including external monitoring services (MSSP) that monitor for you, transmitting only the critical information.
In conclusion
The darknet is not a place to be afraid of – but it is a place to be taken seriously. If you don’t know what’s being published there about your organization – you’re leaving yourself exposed. Proper monitoring, rapid response, and proactive security policies can turn danger into an opportunity to control and strengthen defenses..
Cybersecurity and IT – two worlds, one solution.
About the Author
Idan Zabari, a leading strategic consultant in the fields of IT and information security, assists businesses and organizations in information protection, technological innovation, and regulatory compliance.