Is Your Personal Info for Sale on the Dark Web? Continuous Scanning Is the Best Way to Find Out

For optimal privacy protection, let CyberScan continuously monitor the dark web for all of your personal information

Let’s say you’re extremely careful when it comes to protecting your private information, and you take every available precaution to avoid being scammed or hacked. Unfortunately, when you create an account with a company or organization, and hand over your data to them, your own diligence matters less than theirs. There’s simply no way to prevent a company or organization from potentially suffering a data breach.

If your personal information is hacked or stolen as part of a breach, it’s likely that it will end up being for sale on the dark web—an anonymous, encrypted part of the web where cybercriminals lurk. Companies often take weeks, months, or even years to notify you about a data breach, by which time you might have already become a victim of identity theft.

There’s a faster way to find out whether your personal information has been compromised. As part of a comprehensive privacy and identity protection plan, IDX offers an advanced tool called CyberScan, designed to give you an early warning if your personal information appears to be for sale on the dark web. Here’s what to know about the privacy risks posed by data breaches and the dark web, and how CyberScan works to minimize these risks.

What Kind of Information Can Be Compromised in a Data Breach?

Incidences of data breaches continue to rise, with a 14% jump in the first quarter of this year vs. last year. Should a data breach occur at a company, organization, or government agency where you’re registered or have an account, key elements of your identity could be at risk. Depending on the type of account, potentially compromised information could include your email address, passwords, phone number, home address, financial data, medical data, driver’s license data, or Social Security number.

If Your Information Is Stolen, What Happens to It?

When cybercriminals steal a database of personal information, they’ll often place it for sale to the highest bidder on the dark web. Accessible only by special software, the dark web is home to encrypted sites that aren’t searchable through traditional search engines or browsers. Its anonymity allows fraudsters to conduct all kinds of illegal activity, including the sale and purchase of personal information. Once your information lands on the dark web, it’s virtually impossible to get it removed—not even law enforcement agencies currently have the ability to do that.

What Risks Do You Face If Your Information Is Sold on the Dark Web?

Should your personal information be sold on the dark web to an individual or group with malicious aims, you could face serious harm to your identity and privacy. The risks include credit card fraud, where someone opens a credit card in your name; medical identity theft, where someone uses your information to fraudulently obtain medical services or products; or criminal identity theft, where someone commits a crime using your identity as a cover.

Any of these outcomes can have a devastating impact on your life. Apart from potential financial losses, you could suffer hits to your reputation, your credit rating, and more. It could take months or even years to undo the damage.

Is There a Way to Minimize These Risks?

By the time a company or organization notifies you about a data breach, it might be too late—your information may have already been sold on the dark web. The proactive solution is to use CyberScan, a powerful surveillance tool included with IDX memberships.

CyberScan combines advanced technology and human expertise to continuously monitor the entire web—from the “surface” web we all use, to the dark web where cybercriminals ply their trade—searching 14 billion records across underground forums, black markets, and more. If your personal information shows up on the dark web, you’ll be alerted. This gives you valuable time to take action and avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud or other crimes.

The more information that you add to CyberScan for monitoring—including your name, email address, mailing address, date of birth, phone number, Social Security number, medical data, and financial data—the more thoroughly you can protect your privacy and identity.

What Else Can You Do to Protect Your Privacy and Identity?

Beyond activating CyberScan, be sure to use the full spectrum of protective tools available as part of an IDX plan. For example, activate Credit Management Services, which include 24/7 monitoring of your credit report and credit score. You’ll be alerted to any new financial activity in your name, so you can act quickly if anything seems suspicious. And if you’re active on social media, use SocialSentry to proactively monitor your accounts. You’ll be alerted to any account takeovers, suspicious activity, inappropriate content, or other harmful actions.