Dark Web Trends: How to Become a Cyber Resilient Business

The dark web’s underbelly is a gold mine for cyber crime. Such crimes range from sophisticated nationwide hacking to compromised account takeovers and phishing?scams.

As an unregulated, unlisted?part of the?internet, the dark web is?only accessible via?anonymous?networks such?as Tor?(the onion router).?Opposed to?governed Google searches,?onion sites?offer?hidden services?masked?from?the average surfer.?

Although going full-incognito can be?somewhat beneficial?for those in need of a digital detox?(to enable social or political change),?its?encryption can be seen to?provide?the perfect platform for cyber criminals.??

As the COVID-19 pandemic has?shifted?the?widespread?demand for goods and services?online, we have seen a surge of dark web users?selling?encryption-enabling?technologies, intrusion software and exploitable code.?In just a year,?the?Action Fraud team has reported?￡34.5m?stolen?in the UK alone.?With?more than 6,000 cyber crime cases,?including?fake tech support,?phishing attacks, and bank loan scams, the pandemic?has proven to be?a golden opportunity?for?cyber criminals.??

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What is Cyber Resilience?

Due to?the?rapid?digitalisation?of our?everyday lives, it is?increasingly?important for organisations to become cyber resilient.?Cyber resilience focuses on an organisation’s ability to handle the unknown; this can be achieved by detecting and?categorising?threats before they hit the network.?Although?no business is bullet-proof, no matter what technology is in place, it’s?essential?to ensure?they?can?withstand any storm and thrive regardless of?the?threatening?landscape.??

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How Businesses Become Cyber Resilient

To be well-prepared with an effective response, and recover quickly, here are nine top tips to cyber-resilience:

1.??????Train employees?

Phishing?scams?are the most?prevalent?way?for malware to spread.?It’s important to ensure employees are trained and vigilant when receiving deceptive emails, attachments, and web links.??

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2.??????Install reputable antivirus and malware software??

Antivirus and malware software is designed to detect, prevent, and act against malicious software on your computer.?It’s an essential component of cyber hygiene as it protects against security breaches and viruses.??

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3.??????Update software regularly??

Update your apps, web browsers, and operating systems regularly to ensure you’re working with the latest programmes?that have eliminated all known security flaws. Updating your software?will help ensure you have the latest protection.?

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4.??????Set strong passwords

Passwords?provide?the first line of defence against?unauthorised access to your personal data. Your passwords should be strong,?containing?at least 12 characters along with numbers, symbols, and capital letters. Enforce the use of?multi-factor authentication (MFA)?by everyone. This protects you against weak and exposed passwords.

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5.??????Avoid using public Wi-Fi

Part of your training should be to advise your employees to avoid using public Wi-Fi, which is the perfect hunting ground for hackers. By avoiding public Wi-Fi, you will eliminate insecurities?associated with?poor network configurations and weak passwords.??

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6.??????Use?network firewalls

A firewall is software or firmware which?helps protect your data through managing your network traffic. Adopt pre-configured rules to distinguish between benign and malicious packets, firewalls?identify and block any unsolicited incoming activity.??

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7.??????Deploy deception technology?

Deception technology is a cybersecurity?defence?practice that?aims to deceive?hackers by mimicking?legitimate technology assets?across a system's infrastructure.?For instance,?if?an intruder triggers a decoy, the server will log and?monitor?the attack vectors?employed?throughout the duration of the engagement. Essentially, it’s?designed to?trick?cybercriminals, report?attempted?attacks?and prevent?future?occurrences.??

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8.??????Make back-ups??

In?the?worst-case scenario, businesses must assume their?infrastructure?can be?compromised. In this case,?it’s important to have?backup systems to?safeguard the business’ functionality. These systems should be set up with?detached?protection.??

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9.??????Regularly review your security processes?

Your security processes must advance with the prevailing threats.?Cyber security and resilience strategies require reviewing on a regular basis to?resolve any identified weaknesses.?Routine updates and?employee training schemes can achieve this.???

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The?changing landscape of digitalisation, together?with the?sheer complexity of the dark web,?suggests?it’s unlikely?hacktivist?groups?will be?regulated?any time soon. In the meantime, it’s?important?to?identify?threats before they hit the?network.?As with most things, prevention is better than a cure.?By implementing?basic cyber hygiene?to?increase your resilience?now,?your team?can?start their day?knowing that you’ve built the strongest possible?defence?against?cyber criminals.??

To discuss cyber resilience for your business, call us on 0330 002 1148 or?book a chat.??

You can also register HERE to receive our FREE handy notebook and guide; 'The Small Business' Guide to Cyber Security'.