The Dark Web’s Impact On New Jersey Businesses

The Dark Web’s Impact On New Jersey Businesses

The dark web is home to websites hosting a wide variety of content, both legitimate and illicit material. It attracts ordinary people keen to surf the web anonymously and shady characters looking to engage in illegal activities. This part of the worldwide web is invisible to search engines and inaccessible via traditional browsers.

Visitors to the dark side can find many e-commerce sites selling intellectual property or trade secrets, firearms, drugs, stolen login credentials, credit cards, and other illicit items. However, some sites provide access to social media platforms and chess clubs, which do not pose a threat to users and businesses.

Dark Web Business Risks

Many criminals use the dark side of the net to develop and test new cybercrime tools and techniques. Once the testing is complete, they emerge from the dark side to the surface web to commit breaches that undermine the reputation, finances, and the future of businesses. Companies suffer from activities due to intellectual property (IP) theft, denial of service attacks, and other fraudulent schemes.

Cybercriminals lurking on the dark side can compromise the security of sensitive data or disrupt business operations. According to the findings of a study conducted at Norwich University, criminals hiding in this part of the internet generate up to $100 million annually. This figure translates to significant financial losses for companies that fall victim to bad actors operating in the underworld.

Stolen business data changes hands in the dark web as criminals leverage the space’s anonymity and encryption. Hackers find space alluring, considering that a single data breach averages $3.62 million. On the other hand, law enforcement agencies face challenges dealing with bad actors hiding behind the dark areas of the internet.

The failure to control activities in the online underworld means businesses need to take additional measures to protect their systems from evolving threats. Criminals buy and sell stolen items using cryptocurrencies to keep their identities hidden. It is no surprise that the number of websites involved in illegal activities in the dark online underworld is growing.

Protecting Your Business from Dark Web Threats

Working with information technology service providers like Atlantic-IT in New Jersey helps your organization reinforce security. In doing so, you can detect and thwart threats posed by criminals who develop and test new hacking techniques on the dark side. Multi-layered cybersecurity measures prevent breaches that compromise customer account and financial information.

Some criminals steal company credit card details and sell them in the online underworld. Hence, the need to take a holistic approach to data protection. Experts at Atlantic-IT recommend conducting regular user awareness training to prevent the creation of vulnerabilities. For instance, employees visiting the dark side using the Tor browser can compromise the security of your organization’s systems.

Exposure to malware or other damaging material can have devastating consequences for your corporate network. Your company’s cybersecurity guidelines should urge users to avoid risky habits. Blocking the Tor browser is a prudent move that prevents users from exploring the world wide web’s dark side.

Why Partner with Atlantic-IT

Atlantic-IT offers a comprehensive array of IT services to businesses of varying sizes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and other parts of the country. Its range of services includes network solutions, cloud services, IT consulting, managed services, cybersecurity, and mobility solutions.

The firm plays a meaningful role in bolstering your organization’s cybersecurity strategy. It helps you make smart cybersecurity choices that safeguard the future of your business. Security experts at Atlantic can handle penetration and vulnerability testing, incident response, remote monitoring, data encryption, and patch management.

These services make it easier to strengthen cyber defenses when threats against small and medium enterprises are increasing.