What Is a Dark Web Scan & How To Perform It?

No service guarantees a 100% scan of the Dark Web, but you can use some quick-scanning online services to find out if your data was hacked or exposed by a data breach and is available on the Dark Web. Dark Web Monitoring tools are designed to constantly monitor the Internet for your compromised sensitive data, including:

• Usernames and passwords;
• Driver's license data;
• Social security number;
• Debit and credit card numbers;
• Email, postal, and IP addresses.

When these tools encounter leaked personal data, you're alerted right away.

If you're notified by a credit monitoring service or by an identity theft protection provider that your sensitive information was found on the dark web, there's nothing you can do about the already-stolen data. You can't contact the head of the Dark Web and politely ask to take the info down, BUT you can:

• Alert the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service (in case the hackers stole your Social Security Number);
• Change your passwords (when your login credentials appeared on the dark web).

The next step would be to take a few precautionary steps and prevent identity thieves from accessing your information again:

• Contact each credit bureau individually and place a credit freeze;
• Create complex, unique passwords and store them in a password manager;
• Sign up for credit monitoring and keep an eye on your credit reports;
• Use additional security steps (two-factor authentication) for your online banking account or email;
• Avoid public Wi-Fi networks, or if you must use them, don't access important accounts or info because hackers can easily intercept even the online traffic via password-protected networks.

TOR is a free browser that encrypts the Internet connection through many layers to protect the user's privacy. TOR routes info through an unsystematic set of servers run by volunteers. TOR is painfully slow, has low device compatibility, doesn't allow access to all sites, and could trigger legal trouble. VPN, on the contrary, is a significantly more secure choice. It encrypts your requests through an intermediary server from a different location chosen by the user. The difference is that this server is operated by a VPN service provider, making it more reliable.

Can You Be Tracked On TOR?

TOR browser is very efficient in making user's location and online traffic impossible to trace due to its heavy-duty, multi-layered encryption.

If your personal information is on the dark web, you cannot remove it nor stop it from being spread, sold, and resold by cyber-criminals. However, you can minimize the risks of being a victim of ID theft:

• If your passwords are published on the dark web, change it on every account you use them and for extra safety, add 2-step security verifications.
• If your Social Security Number is available on the dark web, notify the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.
• If your passport or driver's license or is exposed to the darknet, contact the U.S. State Department or your Department of Motor Vehicles, respectively.
• If your bank account or credit card numbers have reached the dark web, contact your card issuer immediately.

To determine if someone uses your identity, you can:

• Run free credit reports (contact credit reporting agencies online for free);
• Regularly check your credit card and bank statement for unusual charges;
• Check your Social Security Administration benefits and earnings statement for suspicious activity;
• Pay attention to messages sent by your bank - many banks have set up fraud alert systems to notify clients about potential scams, phishing;
• Call 1-877-ID THEFT (1-877-438-4338) or visit the Federal Trade Commission's specialized website at IdentityTheft.gov.