Tips to Prevent Data from Ending up on the Dark Web

There is no doubt that our personal data has great value on the net. Hackers may constantly be looking to find out to put them up for sale, include us in spam campaigns, or even carry out more personalized cyberattacks. That is why it is important to always be protected. In this article we are going to talk about how to prevent our data from being leaked on the Dark Web . We are going to give a series of interesting recommendations.

Prevent Data from Ending up on the Dark Web

The dark web is full of stolen data

We can say that the Dark Web is the hidden part of the Internet where stolen data ends up, where cybercriminals download malicious software, where illegal products are exchanged … It is a part of the network that can only be accessed from certain browsers such as Tor.

It is a fact that our personal information is very valuable . It is highly valued by marketing companies to be able to send targeted advertising, Spam campaigns, etc. But even hackers could sell stolen accounts such as streaming video services, social media, bank accounts, and a wide variety.

The methods that cybercriminals use to steal user data are varied. They can be based on Phishing attacks, malware delivery via email, or unsafe download pages. They can even take advantage of leaks and attacks on a website where we have our data.

All this makes the Dark Web a place where users’ personal information can be traded . It is therefore essential to take measures to prevent this from happening and to be protected at all times. The goal will be to make it difficult for hackers.

What to do to prevent our information from being leaked

We are going to give a series of recommendations to prevent our data from ending up on the Dark Web. It is very important that information is not leaked when we surf the net or when using any type of service or platform. The tools used by cybercriminals are very diverse, so it is advisable to take precautions at all times.

Protect equipment

To prevent our data from ending up on the Dark Web, something very important is to have our devices fully protected. We must always have security programs, such as an antivirus or firewall . This will help detect malicious software that may affect us, as well as block dangerous connections.

We have a wide range of options at our disposal. No matter what operating system we use, we must always have software that protects us . It is the best barrier to avoid security problems in our day to day. Of course, we must choose a good option, which really helps to avoid these problems.

Network security threats

Keep all updates

A very important complement to what we mentioned above is to always have our systems updated. This is essential to avoid vulnerabilities that may affect us. Hackers can exploit bugs that haven’t been fixed and that’s a major problem.

Our advice is to always have all the patches and updates available. We must take this into account for the operating system, any program that we use and also for the drivers of the network card or any component. This will prevent them from finding any security breach and stealing information that they can sell on the Dark Web.

Avoid making information public on the network

Without a doubt this point is very important. In the Dark Web we can not only find social or bank accounts for sale with their passwords, but also simply personal data such as the ID number or similar. This could be used for an attacker who wants to spoof our identity.

Therefore, we must always avoid making any sensitive information public on the network. We must never publish relevant personal data on social networks, open forums or any service that may be exposed to any user. Otherwise we would be making the attackers’ task easier.

Use only official programs

A very common technique used by cybercriminals is to sneak malware into programs that we download from the Internet. This normally happens if we are going to download something from unofficial sources that have been modified by third parties to launch their attacks.

It is a method that could lead to our data ending up on the Dark Web. For this reason, it is essential to only use applications that are official and guaranteed . Only in this way will we avoid problems that may affect us in our day to day life. The same must apply if what we are going to do is download an update or any add-on for a tool that we already use.

Use strong passwords

Do not forget the importance of using keys that are really strong and complex . Otherwise a cybercriminal could easily steal our accounts and sell them on the Dark Web. You have to take into account certain requirements that it must contain in order for it to be safe.

One of the essential requirements is that it be unique . We should never use the same password on several sites at the same time. If an account is stolen, what is known as a domino effect will occur. In addition, the password must contain letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and other symbols. This will make brute force attacks have no effect or at least make it very difficult.

But beyond the key itself, something essential today and that is increasingly present is two-step authentication . This will allow that, in case a password is stolen, they need a second step to enter. For example, it is usually a code that we receive by SMS to our mobile and thus verify that we are the legitimate user.

Common sense

But if there is something important so that our data does not end up on the Dark Web, it is common sense. We must not make any type of mistake that could compromise us. For example, we talk about avoiding downloading dangerous software or clicking on suspicious links.

A technique widely used by cybercriminals to steal our accounts and put them up for sale on the Dark Web is Phishing attacks . They launch a bait for us to put the password thinking that we are dealing with a legitimate service, although in reality we are delivering all our data on a tray.

Therefore, these tips that we have mentioned are essential to avoid that our personal information, our accounts, end up on the Dark Web. It is very important to maintain security at all times and reduce risk when surfing the net. We have seen that there are many types of attacks that can affect us and expose our data.