How to Protect Information from the Dark Web

Are you an internet addict or social media freak? Do you store all your data information online? Hey! Don’t you have any idea about the dark web? While you are laughing out loud wondering how dark could the dark web be– here are some tasty tidbits.

The World Wide Web is an iceberg. Only a tiny part of the iceberg is visible to us, as the rest of the ice lies beneath the surface of the ocean. Websites that we visit everyday are only a tiny part of the web.

Protect Your Information From The Dark Web.

The hidden part of the web can be divided into three categories:

Surface Web

This can be accessed through search engines by typing web addresses or keywords.

Deep Web

Everything other than the surface web. The deep web cannot be found with search engines. They are not indexed.

Dark Web

These are where the kings of data exploitation dwell! This is an encrypted part of the internet that is not accessible by web searches. To access it, the user must download specific software to mask their IP address and visit it anonymously. The dark web is both powerful and dangerous. It can pull the wool over our eyes.

The shadowed nature of the dark web allows hackers to indulge in illegal activities like stealing personal information, credit card numbers, passport details, and other sensitive data.

Data breaches are a common threat to people and corporations alike. The cost of data breaches in 2020 was roughly $3.86 million. Having your data stolen and put on the dark web is a nightmare.

Be the Victor, Not the Victim

Selling someone else’s private information has become a trending, although illegal, business. Most legitimate businesses go belly up when their private details are sold elsewhere. Having an online presence can be very unsettling! Here is how to protect your private information and avoid having it being misused on the dark web.

1. Multiple Step Authentication for All Online Accounts

We always want to log in and access our email and social media accounts in just a few clicks. This convenience can come with a hefty price tag! It is strongly advised to have multiple authentication steps for all your email and social media accounts to prevent hackers from stealing your information. In addition to putting in your account password to log into an online account, an authenticator app will send you a one-time password, or OTP. This OTP can be sent to your mobile phone as a text, or arrive in your email. The sooner you add at least two-factor authentication to your online accounts, the sooner they will be protected.

2. Password Management Methods

Do you forget your passwords from time to time? Well, friend, I have a piece of bad news for you. You should change your passwords every 30 to 90 days for security. By the time you commit your password to memory, it might be time to create a new one. Several companies use automated password changing applications that provide high security for online accounts and data. A third party password management option, like Bitwarden, may help you keep track of all your passwords.

3. Use Authentic Antivirus Software<

Antivirus software helps prevent spyware, adware, and trojans from infecting computers. If the software detects intrusive software, the antivirus program will eliminate it from the system before any data is breached.

4. Update Software Periodically

New viruses that hackers create can show up on a general user’s computer and look as harmless as a piece of floating ice. Any good antivirus software will update itself automatically and identify problems that potentially lie underneath and remove them before they wreck your entire day.

The RP Tech Solution You Need

Thinking about ways your personal information can be stolen may make you cringe. Knowing how to avoid these types of theft will give you confidence the next time you upload a profile picture on social media, save your credit card details on a shopping website, or update your business information online.
RP Tech Services can help you protect your data with these techniques and more. Get the conversation started with us today to find out how RP Tech can secure your private information.