In this article, we’ll do a deep dive on the two parts of the internet that are rarely discussed—the deep web and the dark web. We’ll cover what the deep web and dark web are, how they are used, and how they can impact your employees and organization.
The internet is a seemingly endless resource with billions and billions of pages that hold the totality of human knowledge. But you might be surprised to know that all of these web pages only constitute a small percentage of the actual internet.
Aside from all of the accessible web pages, there are hidden parts of the internet, also known as the deep web and dark web. While the deep web is essential to the experience we’ve all come to know and love, the dark web, for better or worse, is hidden from ordinary users.
But don’t worry—we’ll peel back the layers on these hidden parts of the internet, how they impact the internet experience, and their real-world implications.
Deep web vs. Dark web: What’s the difference?
There are two parts of the internet that are hidden from everyday users—the deep web and the dark web.
The deep web contains all of your password-protected content and makes up the vast majority of the internet. Think: all the content on streaming services, private documents, and other content that is restricted to the users that are approved to access it.
The dark web, however, serves a very different purpose. It is a very small subsection of the internet that is hidden from web crawlers, or the automated programs that browse the internet and index web pages. To access the dark web, you need a specialized web browser.
The dark web is often associated with illicit activity, like purchase of drugs and other illegal items. Governments around the world are doing their best to shut down these sites selling illegal items and services, with the German government recently shutting down over 370,000 dark web pages.
However, the dark web isn’t all bad—it’s also used by political activists under oppressive governments to communicate and share information, providing an essential service for these groups.
The risk of the dark web for employees and employers
The deep web is where your employees store all of their documents, emails, files, and chat histories, so it already plays a vital role in their day-to-day lives, even if they aren’t even aware it exists.
It’s safe to say that your employees are most likely not involved in the dark web. However, their private information and data may still be found there, with or without their permission or knowledge.
That’s because in addition to illegal items and services, digital criminals can also purchase private personal information such as passwords, usernames, Social Security numbers, credit cards, and other information on the dark web.
How is this information usually collected? Through data breaches, successful phishing attempts, scams, and other means. This personal information can then be used in identity theft schemes, other phishing attempts, or used to gain access to secure accounts and information.
Worse, while your employees’ personal information can be sold on the dark web, their workplace information and credentials can also be sold on the dark web, potentially giving criminals the information they need to launch successful phishing attempts or gain access to restricted workplace systems.
How to protect employees from the dark web
The first step is understanding the dark web exists and why it’s important your employees’ data doesn’t end up there (and this article is a great first step!).
You can also work with your IT department to train employees on best practices for creating passwords and avoiding phishing emails. That can help your employees protect their personal information and workplace credentials, preventing digital criminals from getting their hands on it in the first place.
However, even with the best education, data breaches can result in employee information and workplace data finding its way to the dark web. The only way companies can help protect their employees and workplace data is by equipping them with a service that monitors the dark web for both their personal information and workplace data.
For more information on how Allstate Identity Protection’s dark web monitoring feature, check out our feature page.
