TL;DR
Monitoring the dark web for your data breaches is useful, but it can alert bad actors to your interest. This guide shows how to minimise detection and keep your searches private.
How Dark Web Monitoring Can Alert Attackers
When you use a public dark web monitoring service, they often scan the dark web using known addresses and keywords (like your email or company name). This activity can be logged by those operating on the dark web. If someone is looking for mentions of you specifically, these scans could tip them off that you’re investigating.
Steps to Reduce Detection Risk
- Use a Privacy-Focused Browser: Don’t use your everyday browser. Tor Browser is designed for anonymity and routes your traffic through multiple layers of encryption. Download it from the official Tor Project website.
- VPN Before Tor (Optional, but Recommended): A VPN hides your initial IP address from your ISP before connecting to the Tor network. This adds an extra layer of protection. Choose a reputable VPN provider with a no-logs policy.
- Avoid Common Monitoring Services Initially: Popular services are more likely to be monitored by malicious actors. Start with less well-known options or build your own monitoring (see step 6).
- Vary Your Search Terms: Don’t just search for your exact email address. Try variations:
- Misspellings
- Different domains (if you’ve used multiple)
- Partial email addresses
- Usernames associated with the email
- Limit Search Frequency: Don’t scan constantly. Daily checks are usually sufficient, and even less frequent scans can be effective. Excessive scanning is a red flag.
- Consider Building Your Own Monitoring (Advanced): If you have technical skills, you can set up your own monitoring using tools like:
- OnionScan: A Python-based tool for scanning Onion services. Requires some setup and knowledge of the command line.
git clone https://github.com/onionscan/onionscan.git - Custom Scripts: Write scripts to query dark web forums or paste sites directly (requires understanding of scraping techniques). Be very careful with this, as you could accidentally download malicious content.
- OnionScan: A Python-based tool for scanning Onion services. Requires some setup and knowledge of the command line.
- Use a Burner Email for Initial Setup: When registering for monitoring services, use an email address that isn’t linked to your primary accounts. This isolates potential exposure.
- Be Careful with Downloaded Data: Any data you download from the dark web could contain malware. Scan it thoroughly with multiple antivirus programs before opening or analysing it.
- Regularly Clear Browser History and Cookies: Within Tor Browser, clear your history and cookies after each session to remove any traces of your activity.
Important Considerations
No method is foolproof. Even with these precautions, there’s always a risk of detection. The goal is to make it more difficult for attackers to find you. Prioritise strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits as your primary defence.