How to Keep Your Data Off The Dark Web

Since 2020, the healthcare industry has had its hands full with the coronavirus pandemic. The global lockdown that took place cancelled events and closed establishments. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are not taking a day off during these trying times. They're taking advantage of the chaos while their prey is overwhelmed and focused on this major crisis.

Take a look at these statistics:

• 9.7 million healthcare records were exposed in a data breach in September 2020 alone.
• Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a whopping 300% increase in cybercrimes.
• 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses like yours.

Healthcare information is considered way more valuable than most stolen data. A single patient record is worth around $250 on the dark web, making it one of the most favorite targets of cybercriminals—a terrifying thought, especially for small clinics on a tight budget with little to no protection against advanced threats.

What is the Dark Web?

The dark web is the section of the internet that is not immediately accessible to regular netizens. It contains websites that common browsers like Chrome and Firefox cannot access. Regular search engines like Google and Bing can’t also get you to the dark web. To access it, you will need specific network configurations and authorizations, plus a special type of browser like Tor.

Just with its name alone, the dark web seems like a scary and dangerous place that you should avoid at all cost—and that is true to a certain extent. Since the dark web can’t be easily infiltrated, this is where plenty of malicious activities and illegal transactions are made. Child pornography, drugs, firearms, and stolen data like credit card information and protected health information (PHI) are some of the things being sold on the dark web.

This is where dark web monitoring services come in handy.

What is Dark Web Monitoring?

As the name implies, dark web monitoring scans hundreds of thousands of pages on the internet to find out if someone’s data has been stolen and sold on the dark web. With dark web monitoring, these are just some of the most valuable records that can be found:

• Medical records
• Email addresses
• Social Security numbers
• Bank accounts and credit card numbers
• Phone numbers
• Social media accounts
• Subscription accounts (e.g., streaming and gaming services)

How Does Dark Web Monitoring Help Your Practice?

With dark web monitoring, you can find out if there’s any trace of information that can possibly compromise your practice, like stolen patient records or employee credentials. Your IT team can also advise you on how to proceed.

Advanced IT applications like dark web monitoring tools do not come cheap. Fortunately, there are IT service providers that offer dark web monitoring, sometimes bundled together with other IT services. This gives small businesses the same opportunity to have cyberthreat protection that large corporations have access to.

How to Keep Your Data Off the Dark Web

With 95% of data breaches caused by human error, it’s important to pair your tools with serious cybersecurity hygiene. After all, your staff’s cybersecurity awareness can make or break your practice.

Here’s how you can mitigate the risks of having your data end up on the dark web:

Get specialized cybersecurity training for your employees.

Your defense is as good as the weakest link, which is usually one of your employees. Human error is the easiest thing for cybercriminals to exploit, and a single careless action (or lack thereof) can bring your entire practice down. Educating your employees to strengthen that link boosts your defense against cyberattacks.

Healthcare professionals need to consider strict HIPAA compliance requirements on top of regular cybersecurity measures. Consult your IT team to come up with a comprehensive plan tailored to your specific needs.