Dark web intelligence is the capacity to monitor and analyze data from the dark web – an area of the Internet not accessible by search engines. This data helps security teams hone their threat detection and response capabilities.
Though many companies already utilize deep web intelligence, there are several things to take into account before implementing a dark web monitoring solution.
What is darknet intelligence?
Dark web intelligence is a term for cyber security and threat information gathered from underground cyber sources such as the dark web. These sources are not indexed by search engines and often contain sensitive data that should remain private.
There are various methods to collect darknet intelligence, including automated tools and crawlers that search for keywords or phrases on hacker forums. Once this data has been processed and outputted as actionable alerts for security analysts to act upon, there are various approaches.
DarkOwl offers one such tool, providing a suite of automation tools that continuously scans the darknet for mentions of a given company. This can help detect when there has been an incident or sensitive data is posted on the dark web.
Another useful tool is Hashcast, which offers real-time credential leakage detection. When your company experiences a breach, they'll receive an email alerting you of it as well as details on which credentials were compromised.
Cybersecurity teams can also leverage threat intelligence gathered from dark web sites to detect and remediate insider threats, which are risks that arise within an organisation. This includes disgruntled employees who access the dark web to sell enterprise network credentials or gain access to secure data.
What are the threats of dark web?
The dark web is a network of mostly hidden webpages designed to remain undiscovered by traditional search engines and browsers. This makes it an ideal platform for cybercriminals to trade stolen data, distribute malicious scripts and software, and plan attacks against enterprise targets.
Monitoring dark web marketplaces for threat intelligence is essential, as they offer valuable sources of data that can be utilized to bolster your cybersecurity infrastructure. By tracking these channels, you can understand current threats, place them within the context of your own security architecture, and take proactive action to mitigate them.
Dark web sites frequently sell access to hacked personal accounts, including financial and email ones. This provides attackers with a way into an organization's environment, making them useful for spotting potential cyberattacks ahead of time.
Cybercriminals also sell botnets, which are collections of compromised devices used in automated attacks such as credential stuffing and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Monitoring these sites for botnets can give organizations the ability to safeguard their systems from being taken over by a hacker and stop the spread of viruses.
The dark web provides invaluable data on insider threats, such as current and former employees, partners, vendors, resellers, and others with access to sensitive information. Regularly scanning dark web paste sites, underground marketplaces and user forums for your organization's name can help identify potential insider threats that could cause access breaches or data leaks.
How to defend against dark web cyber attacks?
The dark web is an area of the internet that requires special tools and authorizations to access. While it has legitimate uses, cybercriminals and scammers use its anonymity to launch attacks against legitimate businesses and sell stolen information on the dark web.
The dark web provides criminals with a range of tools to conduct online attacks, such as Phishing kits and Ransomware-as-a-Service packages that can be rented and distributed on the dark web. Other resources on the dark web include chat rooms and forums where hackers and fraudsters share intelligence and strategize.
Cybercriminals and threat actors can use the dark web to advertise targeted attacks for sale, such as DDoS attacks against a specific company or individual. Alternatively, attackers may offer their services of hacking into software or online accounts at a fee.
One of the greatest risks to organizations is credential stuffing attacks using stolen credentials. These can often be obtained through data breaches or phishing campaigns and sold on dark web marketplaces for a profit, often by cybercriminals with malicious insiders.
Companies should implement security solutions that monitor multiple sources of data to detect suspicious behavior. This could include enforcing least privilege, monitoring network and application traffic, detecting unauthorized changes to system files and configurations, as well as making sure firewalls and anti-virus updates are applied.
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