What is a Dark Web Scan, and Why Do You Need One?

In today’s increasingly online world, most people understand the importance of keeping your information off the dark web. However, we have found that many people do not realize how easy it is for your information to end up leaked on shady corners of the online world.

Criminals who obtain an individual’s personally identifiable information (PII) may share it or sell it online using the dark web where other bad actors can purchase it for a number of criminal uses. The biggest problem with preventing identity theft is that unless you are actively monitoring the dark web for your information, you won’t know if your identity is stolen until someone uses it.

Even if you are careful with your identity, data breaches, malware, and even trusting the wrong person can lead to your information ending up on the dark web.

Spoiler Alert: Dark web scans are one of the few ways to find out if your information is out there before a criminal uses it.

In this post, we share what you need to know about the dark web, how dark web scans work, and how to help keep your identity safe whether your data is already out there or not.

What Is the Dark Web?

The dark web is a part of the internet that cannot be found using search engines like Google and requires the use of an anonymous browser to access. Encryption tools make it possible for websites to hide the identity and origin of their creators as well as the identity of users that visit the dark web.

There are many legitimate reasons to use the dark web, but its anonymity makes it a perfect venue for illegal activity. Online dark web marketplaces enable users to buy and sell contraband, illegal drugs, weapons, and illegally obtained data.

What Is a Dark Web Scan, and Can It Protect Your Identity?

Dark web scans search the dark web to look for a user’s PII and alert the user if they find sensitive information. However, it’s important to remember that dark web scans can’t catch everything because stolen data is often traded privately on the dark web.

Dark web scans can protect you by alerting you when your PII is found online, allowing you to take extra precautions to safeguard your identity. But once your information is already out there on the dark web, there is little you can do to recover it.

What Kind of Information Can You Find on the Dark Web?

There are many types of personal data that can be found on the dark web:

Personally identifiable information (PII): Your name, address, email address, phone number, driver’s license number, birth date and Social Security number (SSN) are types of PII that can be used to commit identity theft.
Account logins: Login credentials including emails, usernames and passwords can be used to access your accounts.
Financial data: Account numbers and routing numbers, financial records and other data may be used to access your funds.
Health records: Your medical records, insurance records and more can be used to commit identity theft.

How Does a Dark Web Scan Work?

To start a dark web scan, you will need to provide the company with key personal details so it knows what to look for. They will take that information and scour the dark web for your PII, including marketplaces, chat rooms, forums and other websites. If they discover your information on the dark web, they will alert you.

Dark Web Scanning vs. Dark Web Monitoring

Dark web scanning and dark web monitoring are similar services, but there is one key distinction:

Dark web scans perform a one-time search of the dark web, which only gives you an understanding of your PII on the dark web at a single point in time.
Dark web monitoring searches the dark web on an ongoing basis to actively monitor the internet for your information.

While dark web scans are a great tool to periodically check if your information is out there on the dark web, it isn’t an effective way to protect yourself from identity theft. Data breaches and other forms of data theft happen all the time, and it often takes months for people to learn that their information was leaked. Dark web monitoring can help protect your identity by continually scanning the dark web for your information, giving you the chance to protect your identity before a criminal uses it.

At IdentityIQ we use innovative technology to continuously scrape thousands of websites, marketplaces, chat rooms and forums on the dark web, and send you real-time alerts you as soon as we detect your information somewhere a criminal could access it.

What Can Criminals Do with My Personal Information?

When criminals obtain your personal information, they can use it to commit many types of identity theft. Here are some of the most common ways criminals might use your personal information after finding it on the dark web:

Financial identity theft: Criminals may use your PII to open new accounts in your name, or they may attempt to take over existing accounts.
Child identity theft: When criminals obtain a child’s information, they can use it to create a fake person using parts of your child’s identity.
Senior identity theft: Criminals may target older Americans to gain access to their retirement savings, government benefits, and more.
Tax identity theft: Criminals may use your PII to file fraudulent tax returns in your name and claim a tax refund.
Medical identity theft: Criminals may use your PII to receive medical services and prescriptions or submit fraudulent insurance claims.
Employment identity theft: Criminals may use your PII to gain employment.
Criminal identity theft: Criminals may provide your name when caught committing a crime, affecting your criminal record.

My Personal Information is On the Dark Web. What Should I Do?

If you find your personal information on the dark web, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself:

Change your passwords and create strong, unique passwords for every account. You can use a password manager to help you create and keep track of your passwords.
Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) for your online accounts to add an additional layer of security.
Monitor your financial statements from your bank, credit card company, retirement plan administrator and more. Review transactions and withdrawals to look for suspicious activity.
Freeze your credit report with the three major credit bureaus to help stop criminals from opening fraudulent credit accounts in your name.
If your credit card or bank account number is found online, contact the financial institution and report it.
Sign up for identity theft protection. No individual can monitor the corners of the web at all times to check for stolen personal information. With identity theft protection services such as IdentityIQ, you gain automated round-the-clock monitoring, including dark web monitoring, that watches for suspicious activity on your accounts and alerts you in real-time.

The Bottom Line on Dark Web Scans

Performing a dark web scan will help you check for your PII online, but only dark web monitoring will provide continuous vigilance for better protection. It’s also important to remember that dark web scans have limitations and can’t view private web activity, nor can they recover your stolen information once it’s out there.

When used in conjunction IdentityIQ identity theft protection services, dark web monitoring can help you get ahead of criminal activity by alerting you as soon as your information is detected on the dark web. Join IdentityIQ today and navigate the web with more confidence, knowing that industry-leading technology is vigilantly monitoring your identity to keep you safe.