{"id":4648,"date":"2025-09-03T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=4648"},"modified":"2025-09-03T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T07:00:00","slug":"a-cisos-guide-to-monitoring-the-dark-web","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=4648","title":{"rendered":"A CISO\u2019s guide to monitoring the dark web"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Most security leaders know the dark web<\/a> exists, but many still view it as the internet\u2019s seedy underbelly \u2014 useful for criminals who want to make illegal transactions, but not a source of information for those who walk the straight and narrow. That\u2019s a mistake.<\/p>\n

Cybercriminal networks responsible for ransomware attacks and credential leaks do business on the dark web, and dark web sites offer vital context for cybersecurity pros. Moreover, the dark web can provide early indicators that your systems have been compromised, if you know where to look.<\/p>\n

We spoke to security experts to learn how to monitor dark web activity, what to watch for, and how to turn what you find into real-world defensive action.<\/p>\n

Why you need to monitor the dark web<\/h2>\n

Information on the dark web can be a real-time early warning system, offering you first indications that your organization has been breached \u2014 or is next on the list.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinding data on the dark web may mean that a breach was missed and the organization will have to respond accordingly,\u201d says Nick Carroll<\/a>, cyber incident response manager at Nightwing. That discovery should set off a chain of actions: \u201cVerify the data\u2019s authenticity, assess the scope of the exposure,\u201d he says. \u201cIf the leak stems from an ongoing breach, immediate containment is vital.\u201d Carroll also advises organizations to preserve evidence, notify affected parties as required by law, and be ready for possible extortion attempts.<\/p>\n

Continuous monitoring of the dark web is essential, Carroll adds, because \u201cthe dark web moves quickly,\u201d and it\u2019s not just a matter of detecting past breaches. \u201cWe also track ransomware group operations regularly and dark web postings around leaked victim data. This helps inform our threat hunters on which ransomware actors are focused on which industry verticals.\u201d<\/p>\n

That kind of threat visibility can be the key to stopping an attack before it unfolds. \u201cLook for stealer logs, brand mentions, and initial access brokers offering RDP or VPN access,\u201d says S\u0131la \u00d6zeren<\/a>, a security research engineer at Picus Security. \u201cThese signals often emerge well before ransomware deployment. We have seen organizations intercept attacks in progress simply because they knew they were in the crosshairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ozeren advises CISOs to \u201cuse this knowledge to build and refine your incident response playbooks<\/a> and conduct adversarial simulations to test how well your defenses hold up against real-world attack behaviors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dark web monitoring can also provide strategic intelligence even when it doesn\u2019t uncover direct mentions of your organization. For instance, understanding which groups are targeting your industry or region helps security teams allocate resources more effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing which groups are active can help prioritize patching and detection efforts,\u201d says James Wood<\/a>, principal consultant at global technology research firm ISG. Subscribe to threat intelligence feeds and participate in sector-specific information sharing and analysis centers<\/a> (ISACs) to stay ahead of ransomware trends and relevant indicators of compromise, he advises.<\/p>\n

Tony Velleca<\/a>, CEO of Cyberproof, also emphasizes the value of ISACs and Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), which \u201croutinely release industry-specific ransomware incident data and warnings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Velleca adds that security teams should \u201ctrack emerging vulnerabilities in software commonly used by your sector,\u201d because ransomware groups pounce quickly. Use threat intelligence feeds \u201cthat map exploited vulnerabilities to active ransomware campaigns in particular industries,\u201d he advises.<\/p>\n

That sector-specific targeting is also visible in ransomware groups\u2019 recruitment patterns. \u201cIf an [affiliate recruitment] ad like \u2018Looking for SaaS or CRM partners\u2019 appears, it\u2019s a direct signal that your industry is being targeted,\u201d says Aleksandr Adamenko<\/a>, co-founder of Winday.co, noting that such indicators can help CISOs connect the dots between dark web activity and emerging threats to their business.<\/p>\n

Even when there\u2019s no immediate danger, dark web monitoring can strengthen defenses by providing insight into how attackers operate. \u201cBe aware of the tactics, techniques, and procedures used in cyberattacks, and stay current with real-world attack scenarios,\u201d says Stacey Cameron<\/a>, CISO at anti-ransomware company Halcyon. She cites examples such as \u201cdiscussion of unpatched or zero-day vulnerabilities, often tied to specific operating systems, VPNs, or remote access tools,\u201d and the sale of \u201charvested credentials, both human and non-human, especially for cloud and SaaS platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to monitor the dark web<\/h2>\n

Getting access to all this information is easier said than done \u2014 and many may find it intimidating. At the most basic level, there are free tools that offer entry-level visibility. \u201c\u2018Have I Been Pwned,\u2019 for example, is a free and reliable service for checking if an email address was involved in a known breach,\u201d says Crystal Morin<\/a>, cybersecurity strategist at Sysdig. \u201cIt also offers paid tiers of enterprise monitoring for all email addresses associated with a corporate domain.\u201d<\/p>\n

More advanced capabilities, however, require persistent access to hard-to-reach corners of the dark web. \u201cTruly effective dark web monitoring goes much deeper,\u201d Morin says. \u201cIt requires tracking several forums, Telegram channels, breach dump sites, and so on \u2014 some of which require vetting to join and\/or are language-specific. That\u2019s why many organizations rely on threat intelligence platforms<\/a> such as Flashpoint or Recorded Future.\u201d<\/p>\n

ISG\u2019s Wood notes that these providers can \u201ccontinuously scan underground forums, marketplaces, and breach dumps to alert you when your company\u2019s data appears.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among commercial solutions, two names came up repeatedly: SpyCloud and DarkOwl. According to Winday.co\u2019s Adamenko, \u201cSpyCloud is an automated protection against leaks and stolen credentials. It is a SaaS platform that has the ability to automatically monitor the dark web, forums, dumps, private databases to find leaked credentials, cookies, sessions, tokens, etc.\u201d It integrates with existing security operations center (SOC) solutions and provides real-time alerts if corporate credentials surface on the black market.<\/p>\n

DarkOwl, by contrast, focuses more on analytics and strategic insights. \u201cThey have their own search engine that works like a \u2018Google for the dark web\u2019 \u2014 with the ability to create contextual queries, filter by leak type, location, time of appearance, etc.,\u201d says Adamenko. He characterizes SpyCloud as better-suited for \u201coperational account protection, phishing prevention, and partner verification,\u201d while DarkOwl is aimed at compliance teams, threat intelligence analysts, and others building an early warning system.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the platform, expertise is essential. \u201cIf there is no experienced security analyst in the team, involve external expertise at the integration stage,\u201d Adamenko says. \u201cOtherwise, you risk simply collecting alerts without knowing how to interpret or act on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For an in-depth look at more offerings in this space, check out \u201c12 dark web monitoring tools<\/a>\u201c from CSO\u2019s Tim Ferrill.<\/p>\n

For organizations looking for more proactive threat detection, deception technologies such as honeypots and canary tokens offer powerful options.<\/p>\n

IEEE Senior Member Shaila Rana<\/a> suggested that companies \u201cset up honeypot<\/a> email addresses or fake info and employee credentials that only exist to trigger alerts if they appear in breach databases.\u201d Another tactic is to \u201ccreate \u2018canary tokens\u2019 that are fake but realistic documents with embedded tracking that could ping if accessed.\u201d These lures can be particularly useful in detecting insider threats or spotting compromised internal assets circulating online.<\/p>\n

Adamenko also endorses using honeypots, but warns of the risks if not implemented properly: \u201cA honeypot is a very effective tool, but mistakes in its configuration can create more risks than benefits.\u201d He suggests that companies without experienced internal security teams \u201cturn to a specialized contractor who already has proven configurations, response logic, and infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, organizations with mature security operations can go further. \u201cIf the company already has an internal devsecops<\/a> team or its own SOC<\/a>, then it is possible and advisable to implement the honeypot independently,\u201d Adamenko says. With proper integration into SIEM<\/a> or XDR<\/a> tools, honeypots can act as early indicators of targeted activity.<\/p>\n

Security teams can also enhance visibility by joining vetted communities of dark web analysts. Adamenko pointed to \u201cprivate Telegram channels and feeds, where information about potential threats, hacks, or mentions of your brand or infrastructure appears before public sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

On whatever level your organization engages with the dark web, be sure to use strong operational security<\/a> practices. Ed Currie<\/a>, associate managing director of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Kroll, suggests \u201cusing trusted Tor browsers, VPNs, and dedicated devices, and disabling scripts that could expose identity.\u201d He emphasized that accessing the dark web is legal and even necessary for security professionals, \u201cbut it must be approached with a strategic mindset focused on intelligence gathering rather than fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to look for on the dark web<\/h2>\n

Imagine you have your dark web monitoring tools up and running. What should your team look for? The first step is to perform the dark web equivalent of Googling yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cModern dark web monitoring platforms continuously scan dark web forums, marketplaces, and paste sites for company-specific information,\u201d says Cyberproof\u2019s Velleca. These tools allow you to \u201csearch for company domains, executive emails, and tailored terms, like a CEO\u2019s name or even partial Social Security numbers.\u201d\u00a0 These details may seem minor, but when combined with other compromised data, they can be used to engineer devastating social or financial attacks.<\/p>\n

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Is your company data on the dark web? Here\u2019s what to look for and what do if your data now lives on the dark web.\u00a0<\/p>\n

S\u0131la \u00d6zeren \/ Picus Security <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If you\u2019re looking for broader threats against your organization, pay close attention to what initial access brokers (IABs) are offering for sale on the dark web. \u201cWe regularly monitor IAB sales offerings to see if there\u2019s any alignment between what\u2019s being posted and our clients\u2019 risk profiles,\u201d says Nightwing\u2019s Carroll. \u201cOur analysts track posts from known IABs offering things like VPN\/RDP access, admin credentials, or vulnerabilities in specific companies\u2019 infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winday.co\u2019s Adamenko adds practical advice: \u201cMonitor marketplaces and forums that sell access to companies. Set up monitoring for mentions of your domain, IP addresses, or common usernames in sections like \u2018RDP access,\u2019 \u2018VPN for sale,\u2019 etc. Brokers often explicitly state which companies they have initial access to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scope of effective dark web monitoring should go beyond your company alone. Third-party risk<\/a> is a major \u2014 and growing \u2014 concern, says Stephen Boyce, founder of The Cyber Doctor<\/a>. \u201cMany dark web actors target smaller suppliers, managed service providers, SaaS vendors, or even law firms with access to your systems or data,\u201d he says. He advises monitoring forums and marketplaces not just for your own company\u2019s name, but for \u201cmentions of your key vendors and technology stack \u2014 especially anything with privileged access, like SSO providers, CRM systems, or cloud infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone is offering access to one of your partners,\u201d Boyce warns, \u201cthat may be a precursor to an attack on you via lateral movement. Proactively identifying this threat allows you to contact the vendor, assess your exposure, and isolate critical systems before an attacker gets in through the side door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning dark web intelligence into action<\/h2>\n

Gathering intelligence from the dark web is useful only if you know what to do with it. The most effective security programs don\u2019t treat dark web monitoring as a siloed activity; they bake it directly into their detection and response workflows.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies must integrate [what they find on the dark web] into their internal monitoring,\u201d said Ariel Parnes<\/a>, COO of incident response firm Mitiga. That means \u201cautomatically cross-referencing indicators against authentication logs, identity changes, and anomalous behavior across platforms such as AWS, Azure, Okta, and M365, to name a few.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

When something suspicious surfaces, like a stolen session token or exposed admin credential, Parnes stresses the need for rapid action: \u201cThey must trigger immediate investigation workflows, revoking access, re-enrolling MFA, or isolating affected services.\u201d<\/p>\n

ISG\u2019s Wood also urges organizations to link external intelligence to their internal processes. \u201cDevelop an incident response playbook,\u201d he says, with plans laid out so you can \u201cbe ready to act immediately if your data appears for sale or extortion on the dark web.\u201d<\/p>\n

That readiness also includes knowing what signs to look for. We\u2019ve already noted that IABs are often shopping around VPN and RDP access to target companies; if you know your organization is being targeted by IABs, you should be on the lookout for exactly these kinds of attacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we see patterns like unusual remote access activity increase, spikes in VPN or RDP usage, or credentials being reused across systems, these are often not random anomalies,\u201d Wood says. \u201cThese patterns are a signature of cybercriminal \u2018supply chain\u2019 behavior, not just individual hackers.\u201d<\/p>\n

By mapping external signals \u2014 dark web listings, threat actor chatter, credential leaks \u2014 to real-time telemetry from your environment, security teams can detect attacks not just when they happen, but as they\u2019re being planned. In the end, dark web monitoring isn\u2019t just about watching in the shadows. It helps you shine a light within your own perimeter, and spot things that don\u2019t belong.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most security leaders know the dark web exists, but many still view it as the internet\u2019s seedy underbelly \u2014 useful for criminals who want to make illegal transactions, but not a source of information for those who walk the straight and narrow. That\u2019s a mistake. Cybercriminal networks responsible for ransomware attacks and credential leaks do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4648"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}