A hard-to-reach part of the internet ripe with criminal activity: the dark web. Unless you have special software and the know-how to access it, you may not realize your information is on it. Learn about the dark web and how identity theft protection services could safeguard your information.
The dark web is the term for the part of the internet that isn’t accessible through typical search engines, like Google or Bing, and can’t be accessed with a regular internet browser, like Chrome or Firefox. Typically, you can only reach the dark web through Tor, a software that allows anonymous internet browsing.
Since the dark web allows for anonymous browsing and is “hidden” in nature, it has become a hub for criminal marketplaces selling illegal goods and services. Stolen personal information — like Social Security numbers (SSNs), addresses and credit card numbers — is often bought and sold there.
So, if you can’t access the dark web through traditional means, how would you know if your information is being sold or displayed on it? This is where dark web monitoring services come into play.
Dark web monitoring is a form of identity protection that scans the dark web for your personal information, such as your SSN, name, address or debit and credit card numbers.
If the service finds your information on the dark web, it alerts you. Plus, it may help you remove your information and provide recommendations on how to protect yourself after the breach.
In many cases, dark web monitoring is included with an identity theft protection plan.
Compare these popular identity theft protection services that offer dark web monitoring.
There are plenty of places where you can go for dark web scanning. If you find out that your information has been leaked on the dark web, signing up for a monitoring service might be well worth your time.
Dark web monitoring is a service that scans for your information on the “hidden” section of the internet. This service is often included with identity theft protection plans, alerting you if your personal information has been compromised.
However, most dark web monitoring services aren’t free, often costing between $10 and $30 per month for one person. If you want to see if buying dark web monitoring makes sense, you can utilize free scanning services to find out if your information is on the dark web at all.
If your bank accounts were compromised, you might be forced to open a brand new one for a fresh start. Compare top checking and savings accounts.
No, it’s not illegal to access the dark web. However, visiting websites that sell or trade illegal goods and services could land you in trouble, so proceed with caution.
Tor is often used as a way to access the dark web. It is a free and open-source software that allows for anonymous internet browsing through a process called onion routing. In short, it conceals your browsing history and activity by hiding your IP address and using encryption tactics, making it difficult to track your location.
Identity theft and fraud are very common criminal acts committed using the dark web. Some people may steal personal information from victims, such as collecting names, card numbers or addresses via phishing scams, then sell that information to buyers on a marketplace on the dark web.
Learn how to protect yourself from credit card fraud.
Top alternatives to Kikoff for easy credit-building include Self, Cleo, Grow Credit, Chime and Mine (Fizz).
The Tomo credit building card says there are no interest charges, $0 annual fees and no hard credit check. See what we found.
Kovo Credit Builder helps you build your credit history for around $10 per month and reports to four credit bureaus. Many competitors do not.
It’s a little different from regular credit scores — here’s how to build business credit.
The best credit-building apps include Self Credit Builder, Step, Cred.ai, Cleo, Grow Credit and Credit Karma Credit Builder.
Credit repair is something you can do yourself, so it may not be worth the cost.
The Unicorn card by Cred.ai charges no APR, as long as you have autopay on, making it a good choice for a first credit card to build credit.
Learn how to read your credit report and what items are on your credit report to better understand your current credit position.
No, checking your credit score does not lower it, so you can check your score as often as you want. Learn how to keep track of your credit score here.
A bad credit score typically falls below 670, but there are ways to improve a bad or poor credit score. Learn more in this guide.