If you own a physical business space, chances are you offer private Wi-Fi and secure connections for your employees. But since 2020, remote work has tripled, meaning those same employees may also be using unsecured public Wi-Fi that can leave your company data exposed on the dark web. The good news: the dark web can now be tracked for free, thanks to Google.
How Does Your Business Information End Up on the Dark Web?
Public internet connectivity is a common culprit, but far from the only one. Visiting unsecured websites while researching or checking competitors also carries risk. And hackers can still find you even if your team avoids shady sites — they create fake content designed to be clicked, or breach pages with weak security measures directly.
How Google Plans to Remedy Data on the Dark Web
Once a breach occurs, it can be hard to tell until damage is done — unusual account activity, unauthorized downloads, or files that no longer resemble the originals. Previously, only Google One subscribers had access to dark web monitoring tools, at a $20/month fee.
As of mid-2024, that’s no longer the case. The Dark Web Report feature, once exclusive to Google One, is now available for free across dozens of countries in the Results About You section of the Google app.
How It Works
After enabling the tool, log into your Google account and input any information you consider sensitive. The monitoring tool then scans dark web sites and forums where attackers trade or obtain personal information. If any of your data matches, you’ll get a detailed alert about when and where it was found.
Beyond detection, the tool offers suggestions for remediation — changing hacked passwords, implementing multi-factor authentication, or freezing a credit card — and you can even click a button to have Google request removal of the exposed data.
Need Help?
If all this talk about the dark web has you nervous, don’t worry — CelereTech has been strengthening Chicagoland businesses’ cyber defenses for 17+ years, all at a flat-rate fee. Get in touch if you have questions or want a second set of eyes on your exposure.
