What is Norton Dark Web Monitoring and why is it important?

The internet is a fantastic tool, but aside from the websites we use daily, like social media and news platforms, there is also a less visible part of the internet: the Dark Web. This is where illegal trade often takes place, such as the sale of stolen personal data. Norton Dark Web Monitoring helps protect you from these practices by alerting you if your data appears on the Dark Web. In this article, we’ll explain exactly what the Dark Web is, how Norton Dark Web Monitoring works, and why it’s an important part of your online security.

What is the Dark Web?

Before we explain what Norton Dark Web Monitoring is, it's useful to understand what the Dark Web actually is. The Dark Web is the part of the internet that consists of hidden sites that you can’t find via regular search engines. It uses encryption software to offer users anonymity and hide their locations. Cybercriminals can buy and sell stolen personal information here.

The internet actually consists of three layers: the Surface Web, the Deep Web, and the Dark Web:

1. The Surface Web: This includes websites indexed by search engines like YouTube, Facebook, and Wikipedia.
2. The Deep Web: These are parts of the internet that cannot be indexed by search engines, like online banking data or emails.
3. The Dark Web: This is the deepest, hidden layer, where criminal activities take place, such as the resale of personal and financial data.

How do your details end up on the Dark Web?

Cybercriminals are constantly trying to steal sensitive information through hacking, phishing, or data breaches. When they succeed in obtaining information like your email address, password, credit card number, or other personal data, they can sell it on the Dark Web. This means that your details are made available to the highest bidder, potentially leading to identity theft or fraud. You don’t always have control over whether your data is stolen. For example, a webshop where you once ordered something might have inadequate IT security, making it vulnerable to a data breach.

How does Norton Dark Web Monitoring protect your personal information?

Norton has added Dark Web Monitoring as a tool for you to check whether your data is present on the Dark Web. Cybercriminals can meet anonymously on the Dark Web to illegally buy personal information. Dark Web Monitoring continuously scans the Dark Web and private forums for your personal data and sends you alerts if anything is found. This allows you to take immediate action, such as changing your passwords or contacting your bank.

How important is identity protection with Dark Web Monitoring?

Identity protection is extremely important because data breaches, identity fraud, and data theft are more common than ever. Cybercriminals break into (large) companies and steal names, addresses, payment details, email addresses, and other information, which is then offered for sale on the Dark Web. Sensitive information about you falls into the hands of criminals who commit fraud with your details (identity fraud).

Sooner or later, you could be financially impacted, for example, by identity fraud or theft of money from your account. But if you don’t know that your data has been leaked and fallen into the wrong hands, you won’t take action. You’re simply unaware that your data is out there until it’s too late. That’s exactly why Norton Dark Web Monitoring is so important. It scans the Dark Web for your data, something you can’t do yourself. As soon as something is found, you’ll be notified immediately so you can take action right away.

Which products include Norton Dark Web Monitoring?

Norton Dark Web Monitoring is included in Norton 360 Deluxe, Norton 360 Premium, and Norton 360 Advanced. We understand that it can be difficult to choose, so below we’ve made a table for you to compare the differences between these Norton 360 packages.

Conclusion

With Norton Dark Web Monitoring, you stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. By constantly scanning the Dark Web and immediately alerting you to potential threats, you can take quick action and prevent your data from being misused. Combined with the other security features of Norton 360, such as antivirus, password manager, VPN, and Cloud backup, this package offers a complete solution for your online safety. Protect your data and identity easily with Norton 360 and enjoy extra benefits when you purchase the package from 2GO Software.