Shining a Light on What the 'Dark Web' Really Means for Firms
From defending against phishing attacks to leveraging certified technology solutions purpose-built to protect their data, organizations don't have to feel helpless in the face of an evolving threat landscape. But the dark web remains a scary place.
February 25, 2019 at 07:00 AM
4 minute read
With more than 53,000 security incidents last year, security is top of mind for many organizations around the world. However, it's not only corporations that are targets. The American Bar Association found that about one in four law firms have already been breached.
While organizations have beefed up their security programs and most have initiated at least some plans to respond to attacks, many are still behind the curve on proactively monitoring the threat landscape and potential threat actors.
We've talked before about simple measures law firms can take to proactively manage their security programs. From defending against phishing attacks to leveraging certified technology solutions purpose-built to protect their data, organizations don't have to feel helpless in the face of an evolving threat landscape. But the dark web remains a scary place.
Let's shine a light on what the “dark web” really means and how you can leverage that knowledge to protect your business and your clients.
|Dark Web vs. Deep Web
There are different parts of the web, defined based on accessibility to the public and coverage by search engines. The public web, which makes up about 4 percent of the internet, is indexed by search engines and can be found by anyone with access to the internet.
The deep web, making up the majority of online content, is comprised of any sites that aren't available to the public and are not indexed by search engines. This includes sites that are password-protected, online banking content, or private networks.
While most of the deep web can be accessed through common browsers, the dark web can only be reached through the Tor network and is designed with anonymity in mind. On the Tor network, a user's traffic is bounced around multiple servers and encrypted several times over. Although Tor is known to have a negative reputation, it is also used for positive efforts around to world. For examples, journalists and whistleblowers may leverage Tor to get their story out without compromising their identity.
|Why Monitor the Dark Web?
Though its uses aren't exclusively nefarious, the fact is that the dark web is the place to go to buy and sell new exploits, malware, compromised credentials, social security numbers, and contraband. It's also a venue to recruit hackers as well as share tools and tutorials about how to hack systems and exploit security vulnerabilities.
Recorded Future, a cybersecurity company, researched vulnerabilities disclosed in NIST's National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and found that 75 percent of those vulnerabilities appeared online in the dark web before they were listed in the NVD, giving adversaries an edge to exploit any vulnerabilities. With a median gap of seven days between when the vulnerabilities first appeared online and when they were released to the NVD, 25 percent had at least a 50-day gap and ten percent had gaps of more than 170 days.
Watching out for possible vulnerabilities that may impact your business could give you a head start to prevent a data breach. In cases where you've already been hacked, you can also try to determine if your data is being sold.
|Accessing the Dark Web
When it comes down to it, keeping tabs on the dark web is an important component of a modern cybersecurity program. Whether or not you're monitoring and preparing to suppress emerging threats, odds are good that someone else may be watching for opportunities to capitalize on your vulnerabilities.
If you're taking advantage of SaaS tools, ask your provider whether their protocols including dark web monitoring. If your data is hosted on-premises, consider adding this precaution to your existing security tactics.
Should you need to do this yourself, there are a few key strategies to keep in mind. Accessing any underground forum should be handled with great care not to reveal any identifying information linked to you or your company. Here are three must-know tips before you get started:
- A new laptop should be used that is not, and has never been, connected to the corporate network.
- In order to connect to the Tor network, it's recommended to use Tails, a Linux operating system specifically designed to securely connect to the Tor network.
- When in doubt, call on a cybersecurity expert to help you navigate the landscape. It's important to be cautious and make sure you're protecting your organization—not endangering it.
Mike Wrzesniak is a threat intelligence analyst on Relativity's Calder7 security team.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllTrending Stories
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250