Few things arouse more anxiety about having the suspicion that their data ended up in the wrong hands on the Dark Web, that hidden portion of the internet that allows users to remain anonymous and that, precisely for this feature, is often used for illegal activities such as the sale of stolen data. Just there can appear email addresses, passwords or telephone numbers subtracted following security violations or malware infections. If you have a Google account (which is very likely), you must know that this integrates a tool to find out if your data ended up in the Dark Web. We are referring to the function called “Report of the Dark Web”, which promises to discover in real time if your sensitive information has been possibly compromised and to receive receiving concrete notices and suggestions on how to defend yourself. Once the monitoring profile has been activated, the tool allows you to select which data to check and shows you any obscured results to protect your privacy. Based on what is detected, it is possible to obtain practical advice to reduce the risks related to any exposure. Let’s see how it works.
As Google does to monitor our data in the Dark Web
To feed its report, Google does not directly access the Dark Web but relies on external suppliers capable of exploring databases that collect the information on display. When you activate the service, you can create a specific profile with the data you want to check, such as e-mail address, telephone number or username. If these elements are traced in a violation, you will receive a notification with the details, but always in darkened form: for example, an e-mail address can only appear partially visible to ensure that it is not further exposed.
The results are then accompanied by practical indications EA, second of the compromised data, Google offers targeted actions: change passwords, strengthen the safety settings or enable systems such as verification in two steps, which adds a further level of protection in addition to the simple password. In some cases, the user also receives an e-mail summary with the main advice, so as to have a clear reference to manage any threats.
What is the dark web
To understand the usefulness of this tool, it is important to clarify what the dark web is and distinguish it from other lesser known areas of the Internet. The Dark Web is a hidden section of the network accessible only with specific software, such as Tor or I2P, which are capable of masking users’ identity and position. This makes it the place privileged for illegal activities, from drug trafficking, to the sale of stolen data. It should be clarified that it is not only used by criminals: also government bodies and intelligence agencies exploit it to exchange sensitive information. The Dark Web should not be confused with the Deep Web, that is, that huge portion of the Internet that is not indexed by search engines and which includes daily services that we use every day such as e -mail, home banking, social networks and, more generally, all those content accessible through the insertion of access credentials. While the Deep Web represents the majority of the network, the Dark Web constitutes a minimum fraction, estimated less than 0.01%.
How do our personal information to arrive on the Dark Web? Mainly through two channels: data violations and malware. In the first case, a computer attack leads to the theft of database containing e-mail addresses, passwords or telephone numbers that are then put on sale. In the second case, malicious software installed on the computer or smartphone can intercept sensitive data, slow down the device or even send fraudulent messages on behalf of the user. It is from here that the need for monitoring tools capable of reporting you if your data appear in these contexts is born.
How to know if their data ended up in the Dark Web with Google
To find out if your data ended up in the dark web with Google, follow these steps:
- Go to this page and log in to your Google account.
- Click on the security item located on the left.
- Scroll the page and identify the Dark Web Report section.
- If the off item is present, click on it to modify it in on, thus activating the function.
- On the page that opens, click on the monitoring.
- Choose what information to make monitor (e.g. name, date of birth, telephone, etc.) or click on select everything to monitor all your data and then confirmed with a click up.
- After configuring the monitoring profile, click on the end.
- On the page that will open, you can see the analysis concerning your profile and possibly receive indications to solve critical situations.
