Darknet: How companies can reduce the risk to their data
The darknet is often referred to as the “forbidden side of the internet”.
For many entrepreneurs, it remains a nebulous entity that hides somewhere beyond the usual search engines.
However, the darknet does not only affect large corporations: more and more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are falling victim to cyberattacks targeting sensitive business or customer data.
According to current cybersecurity statistics, a cyberattack occurs every 39 seconds, which equates to 2,200 attacks every day.
For 2024, the average amount of damage per data leak is estimated at 4.88 million US dollars, and the trend is rising.
This article shows what really lies behind the darknet, what dangers lurk there and how you can protect your company with effective security measures.
What is the darknet, and why should entrepreneurs care about it?
The darknet is an anonymous part of the internet that is not indexed by conventional search engines such as Google.
It is accessed via special software such as the Tor network. In principle, the darknet is not only used for crime-driven purposes - it also offers protection for journalists and activists in authoritarian regimes.
Nevertheless, cyber criminals prefer to use the site to offer stolen data, malware or hacker services.
Why is this relevant for you as an entrepreneur?
Quite simply, the number of data leaks and dark web activities is continuously increasing.
In the first six months of 2024 alone, almost 1 million alerts on data exposures on the dark web were recorded.
With such a high number of cases, the risk of your sensitive company information being for sale on the dark web - whether due to careless mistakes, phishing attacks or hacker attacks - is also increasing.
Layers of the Internet: Clear Web, Deep Web, Darknet
- Clear Web (Surface Web)
- Publicly accessible websites that are recorded by normal search engines.
- Examples: News sites, online stores, social networks.
- Deep Web
- Contains all websites and databases that are not indexed by search engines.
- This includes internal intranets, login-protected areas and many legitimate company systems.
- Darknet
- Small part of the deep web, accessible only via special tools (e.g. Tor browser).
- High level of anonymity; therefore often the scene of illegal activities such as data trading, ransomware distribution and more.
If you want to delve deeper into the technical background, you can find more information on how to detect and defend against hacking methods in the penetration test section of ByteSnipers.
Current threat situation on the darknet: rising costs and new attack vectors
- Global damage caused by cybercrime is expected to grow to 10.5 trillion US dollars by 2025 (29).
- 82% of all data leaks are related to cloud services (29)
- 74% of all successful cyberattacks involve the human factor - attackers are therefore increasingly relying on social engineering and phishing.
These figures are particularly alarming for smaller companies without a large IT department.
As many as 98% of all companies have at least one third-party provider that has itself been the victim of a data leak.
This means that confidential information - such as customer data or intellectual property - can turn up in the dark corners of the internet.
Neue Trends: Daten, die im Darknet gehandelt werden
In der ersten Jahreshälfte 2024 liegen nach aktuellen Auswertungen (26) folgende Datentypen ganz vorne:
Diese Daten werden dann für Identitätsdiebstahl, Phishing oder finanzielle Betrugsdelikte eingesetzt.
Typical darknet risks for companies
- Data trading
Stolen information such as passwords or access data for company networks appear on the darknet and can be purchased there.
- Ransomware and malware
Cyber criminals offer “ransomware-as-a-service” on the darknet. This means that even non-professionals can launch attacks on companies, leading to data encryption and expensive downtime. You can find out more about this in the article “Ransomware”.
- Social engineering and phishing campaigns
Stolen customer data or employee information is used to carry out phishing. Increasingly, criminals are using AI-based tools, as described in our article “Frightening: How fraudsters use ChatGPT to create phishing emails in seconds”.
5 protective measures against darknet risks
1. identify vulnerabilities at an early stage
- Vulnerability scans: Regular vulnerability scans provide information about critical security gaps.
- Pentesting: simulated attacks (Pen-Test) can help, finding security gaps
2. train employees
- Awareness training: Cyber attacks are often only as successful as employees are careless. Awareness training helps to recognize signs of phishing and social engineering.
- Phishing simulation: With a phishing simulation, you can realistically test how well your team reacts to malicious emails.
3. incident response plan and forensics
- Emergency plan: Determine who will initiate which steps in the event of an attack and which external partners (e.g. IT forensics experts) will be called in.
- IT forensics: A professional IT forensics team can quickly find evidence of the type of attack after an incident and thus prevent further damage.
4. strengthen security infrastructure
- Multi-level authentication: Rely consistently on MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication).
- Updates and patches: Always keep operating systems and software up to date.
- Cloud security: Since 82% of data leaks affect the cloud, it is worth taking a look at our article on cloud security.
5. proactive dark web monitoring
In addition to these classic methods, it is advisable to set up dark web monitoring.
This will give you early warnings if company or customer data is offered on the dark web.
In the event of suspicion, you should immediately involve professional security providers or internal specialists to limit the damage.
Relevance for company management
More and more business owners are realizing that IT security is a matter for the boss.
When it comes to data protection, financial damage or even blackmail, a company can quickly find itself in a situation that threatens its very existence.
Studies also show that 91% of all business and cyber decision-makers assume that geopolitical instability will trigger far-reaching cyberattacks in the next two years (30).
Precisely because human error plays a role in 74% of cases according to current statistics, continuous training and a clearly defined security process are crucial building blocks.
Make your team a strong line of defense instead of the weakest link in your security chain with ByteSnipers' Security Awareness Training.
Precaution instead of leniency
The darknet is often seen as a dangerous playground for criminals - and sometimes it is.
But with the right combination of prevention, employee training and security tests, you can significantly reduce the risk.
Professional red teaming or regular security checks uncover vulnerabilities before they are exploited by attackers.
Act now before it is too late.
A comprehensive security concept that combines technical and organizational measures will make you the toughest target for cyber criminals.
Tip: If you are unsure where you stand in terms of IT security, request an IT security audit from ByteSnipers.
This is a quick and straightforward way to find out whether your lines of defense are up to today's challenges.
ByteSnipers is your competent partner for all matters relating to IT security.
Our experts combine many years of experience with state-of-the-art technologies to protect your company from the dangers of the darknet and other cyber threats.
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FAQ: Häufige Fragen & Antworten
Kann ich mich als Unternehmer komplett vor Darknet-Risiken schützen?
Eine hundertprozentige Sicherheit gibt es nicht. Doch mit einer durchdachten, mehrschichtigen Sicherheitsarchitektur und geschultem Personal lassen sich die Risiken deutlich minimieren.
Was kostet Dark Web Monitoring?
Die Kosten variieren je nach Anbieter und Leistungsumfang. Wichtig ist, dass Sie vor allem die Zuverlässigkeit und Aktualität der Monitoring-Dienste prüfen.
Welche Daten tauchen am häufigsten im Darknet auf?
Neben Zugangsdaten (E-Mail/Passwort-Kombinationen) werden zunehmend Kreditkartendaten sowie persönliche Informationen wie Namen, Adressen und Telefonnummern verkauft.
