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.
What is the dark web?
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.
What is dark web monitoring?
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.
Top dark web monitoring services
Compare these popular identity theft protection services that offer dark web monitoring.
A family banking app, Greenlight offers debit cards for kids and family members, with perks like chore and allowance tracking, savings, education and more. With the Infinity plan for $14.98 per month, you can enroll in identity theft protection services, which include dark web monitoring, security alerts and identity theft restoration services. There's also the Family Shield plan for $24.98/month that includes financial account monitoring, suspicious activity alerts, deceptive transfer fraud coverage and up to $1 million in identity theft coverage.
LifeLock by Norton specializes in identity theft protection, offering a variety of plans for individuals, adults and entire families. Norton 360 with LifeLock costs $99.99 for the first year and includes dark web monitoring, antivirus and malware protections, password managers and more. If you go with just LifeLock, pricing for individuals starts at $11.99 per month, which includes dark web monitoring, stolen wallet protection, data breach notifications, credit bureau monitoring and identity theft insurance.
Fee
From $11.99 per month
Credit Bureaus
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
N/A
Fee
From $11.99 per month
Fee
From $11.99 per month
Credit Bureaus
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
Aura
Aura is a service that offers comprehensive identity theft protection services. It provides dark web monitoring and data broker removal for $9.99 per month. Other services you can add include credit lock powered by Experian, identity theft insurance, breach alerts, suspicious transaction alerts and 24/7 US-based customer support.
Fee
$9.99 per month
Credit Bureaus
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
N/A
Fee
$9.99 per month
Fee
$9.99 per month
Credit Bureaus
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
How to see if your information is on the dark web
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.
Experian free scan. Experian is one of the three major credit bureaus. If you have an Experian membership, you can perform a free dark web scan after verifying your identity. An Experian membership also lets you view your Experian credit report and scores to review for changes or suspicious activity.
Norton. The popular cybersecurity brand, Norton offers tons of free and paid services, including a free privacy scan and a free email leak scan.
Google dark web report. If you have a consumer Google account, you can set up a dark web monitoring profile, which lets you monitor the dark web for your personal info and get tips on how to protect your personal info.
Microsoft Defender. This service lets you enter a variety of identity assets, such as emails, names, birthdays, SSNs, driver’s license numbers and more to scan the dark web for matches. Microsoft Defender will alert you if any of your chosen monitored assets are found on the dark web and provide a detailed checklist on how to address the issue.
Bottom line
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to access the dark web?
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.
What is Tor?
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.
What is the most common crime on the dark web?
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.
Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto.
Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt.
Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others.
Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio
Bethany's expertise
Bethany has written 449 Finder guides across topics including:
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