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Threats

Dark web threats

The dark web hosts a thriving underground economy where stolen credit card numbers, bank logins, medical records, and corporate VPN credentials are bought and sold every day. Ransomware groups use dedicated leak sites and offer ransomware-as-a-service, while initial access brokers auction remote desktop protocol (RDP) and virtual private network (VPN) access to corporate networks. Phishing kits that clone bank and SaaS login pages are available for a few dollars, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks can be rented by the hour. Defending against these threats requires multi-factor authentication, dark web monitoring for leaked employee credentials, rapid patching of internet-facing systems, and security training that focuses on recognizing phishing and business email compromise attempts.

7 guidesUpdated July 2026

Threats — common questions

How do I know if my information is on the dark web?

Use a free breach-checking service like Have I Been Pwned to see whether your email appears in known breaches. Paid dark web monitoring watches continuously, but can't remove leaked data or see the entire dark web.

Can you remove your data from the dark web?

No. Once data has leaked it is copied and traded beyond recall — no service at any price can delete it. The realistic response is to make the leaked data useless: change passwords and enable two-factor authentication.

What is the most common dark web threat to businesses?

Stolen credentials and network access. Stealer logs and initial access brokers supply the entry points that ransomware crews use, which is why one leaked employee login can become a company-wide incident.

Updated: 17.08.2026