Although the existence of the Dark Webaccess to this digital map is not easy for most, since it is not indexed by conventional search engines, therefore requiring specialized software to achieve this goal.
Taking into account that the Dark Web constitutes a more private world compared to the Internet used by the majority of the world’s population, this is the ideal place for cybercriminals, since from there they can have the opportunity to share and sell stolen information.
In this sense, almost all cases of companies that suffer data leaks are very likely to end up being traded in a market or forum within the Dark Web.
By now you may be wondering if your email address has been leaked and if there are any actions you can take about it to protect your data. Next we will tell you what to do in both cases.
How to know if my email has been stolen and filtered
There are three ways to check if your email account has been leaked.
Stay alert for suspicious activity
If you see that the recovery email address or phone number associated with your email have changed will be more than enough signal to verify that your account has been leaked.
Use Have I Been Pwned
This will refer to a free online tool where you can have the opportunity to check if your email address has been exposed in a breach. For it Have I Been Pwned scan the web searches for database dumps and collects information at the end of the process.
Invest in a Dark Web Surveillance Service
While this option is expensive, it is effective for scanning the Dark Web for leaked information, which is not just limited to email addresses, but also telephone numbers, bank accounts, etc.
My email has been leaked to the Dark Web, what can I do?
Once you have discovered that your email address has been leaked, the question arises: What to do? These four recommendations will help you.
change passwords
Make sure the new password you are creating has uppercase, numbers and special characters so that it is as indecipherable as possible for others, but not difficult for you to remember.
Check bank account
If you have discovered that your email address has been leaked on the Dark Web and have it linked to your bank account details, then contact your bank to check if a third party has tried to access it or has made an unauthorized transaction.
Notify your contacts
Taking into account that cybercriminals use email addresses to send phishing messages and deploy malware, it is necessary that you notify your acquaintances in case your email account has been leaked.
Enable two-factor authentication
Activating two-factor authentication (2FA) is an excellent measure to protect your email account and prevent third parties from taking control of this.
