Your Business Information Could Already Be in Criminal Hands

When information is stolen in a cyber attack or data breach, it doesn't simply disappear.

Cyber criminals may sell, share or trade stolen credentials, passwords, email addresses and other business information through criminal marketplaces, forums and other hard-to-monitor parts of the internet.

The problem is that your business may have no idea its information has been exposed until criminals attempt to use it.

Soltech IT's Dark Web Monitoring service provides an additional layer of visibility, helping identify whether your organisation's information has appeared in known data breaches or criminal activity.

What Is Dark Web Monitoring?

Dark Web Monitoring involves searching specialist sources for information associated with your organisation that may have been exposed or compromised.

Depending on the service, monitoring can include:

• Company domains
• Business email addresses
• Employee email addresses
• Usernames
• Compromised credentials
• Password exposures
• Data breach information
• Other company identifiers

If potentially compromised information is identified, you can take action to reduce the risk.

Why Does Dark Web Monitoring Matter?

Your business doesn't necessarily need to be hacked for your credentials to be compromised.

For example:

• An employee uses their work email address to register for another online service.
• That service suffers a data breach.
• The employee's email address and password are stolen.
• Criminals obtain the credentials.
• They attempt to use the same credentials against Microsoft 365.
• Your business is now at risk.



This is known as credential stuffing.

If the employee has reused their password and MFA isn't protecting the account, the consequences could be serious.

What Information Can Be Exposed?

Depending on the source and breach, exposed information can include:

• Email addresses
• Passwords
• Usernames
• Names
• Telephone numbers
• Account details
• Organisation information
• Other personal or business information

Not every exposure presents the same level of risk.

That's why simply receiving a breach notification isn't enough—you need to understand what has been exposed and what action is required.

Early Warning of Credential Exposure

Dark Web Monitoring can provide an early warning that credentials associated with your organisation may have been compromised.

This allows you to take action such as:

• Resetting passwords
• Enforcing MFA
• Revoking sessions
• Reviewing account activity
• Checking other accounts
• Investigating possible compromise

The sooner compromised credentials are identified, the sooner they can be secured.

Password Reuse Is a Major Risk

One of the biggest problems with compromised credentials is password reuse.

For example:

Same password used on five websites

↓

One website is breached

↓

Password is stolen

↓

Criminals try it against Microsoft 365

↓

Business account potentially compromised

Using unique passwords for every service significantly reduces the impact of a third-party breach.

MFA provides another important layer of protection.

Dark Web Monitoring & Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 accounts are particularly valuable targets because they can provide access to:

• Email
• OneDrive
• SharePoint
• Teams
• Contacts
• Business documents

We can combine Dark Web Monitoring with Microsoft 365 security controls such as:

• MFA
• Conditional Access
• Entra ID
• Defender
• Account monitoring
• Security alerts

This provides multiple layers of protection around your business identities.

Dark Web Monitoring & Cyber Security

Dark Web Monitoring shouldn't be viewed as a replacement for your other security controls.

It is another layer within a broader security strategy.

A strong approach can combine:

Prevent

• Cyber Essentials
• Email Security
• MFA
• Microsoft 365 Security

Detect

• Dark Web Monitoring
• EDR
• MDR

Test

• Penetration Testing
• Vulnerability Scanning
• Phishing Simulation

Educate

• Security Awareness Training

Recover

• Incident Response
• Backup & Disaster Recovery

What Happens When We Find Exposed Information?

An alert doesn't necessarily mean your business has been hacked.

We assess the information identified and help determine the appropriate response.

This could include:

Password Reset

If a compromised password is still being used, it should be changed immediately.

MFA Review

We can check that appropriate MFA protection is enabled.

Account Investigation

Suspicious sign-in activity can be reviewed where appropriate.

Wider Exposure Review

If credentials have been reused, other accounts may also need attention.

Security Improvements

We can recommend additional controls to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation.

Dark Web Monitoring for Businesses

Dark Web Monitoring can be particularly valuable for organisations handling:

• Customer information
• Financial information
• Personal data
• Confidential documents
• Intellectual property
• Microsoft 365
• Online payment systems

This includes:

• Professional services
• Accountants
• Solicitors
• Financial services
• Manufacturers
• Engineering businesses
• Construction companies
• Schools
• Multi Academy Trusts
• Healthcare organisations
• Charities
• Technology companies

Dark Web Monitoring for Schools

Schools hold significant amounts of sensitive information.

Monitoring can help identify whether school or staff email addresses appear in known breach information.

This can form part of a wider school cyber security programme alongside:

• Cyber Essentials
• Microsoft 365 Security
• Security Awareness Training
• Phishing Simulation
• Endpoint Protection
• Vulnerability Management
• Backup Protection

Dark Web Monitoring for Directors & Senior Management

Senior employees can be attractive targets because their accounts may provide access to sensitive information or financial authority.

Monitoring can help identify whether important business identities have appeared in known breach data.

This can be particularly useful for:

• Directors
• Finance teams
• IT administrators
• Senior management
• HR teams



Dark Web Monitoring vs Cyber Security Monitoring

These services are different.

Dark Web Monitoring

Looks for exposed information associated with your organisation.

Security Monitoring / MDR

Looks for suspicious activity occurring within your IT environment.

For example:

Dark Web Monitoring:
"Your employee's credentials have appeared in breach data."

MDR:
"That employee's Microsoft 365 account is showing suspicious login activity."

Using both provides greater visibility.

Dark Web Monitoring vs Data Breach Monitoring

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Data breach monitoring generally focuses on information appearing in known breach datasets.

Dark Web Monitoring can include additional monitoring of criminal sources and marketplaces where compromised information may be traded or discussed.

The precise coverage depends on the monitoring service used.

What Dark Web Monitoring Can't Do

No monitoring service can guarantee that every piece of stolen information will be discovered.

Criminal activity can take place in:

• Private groups
• Encrypted channels
• Closed forums
• Constantly changing websites
• Previously unknown sources

Dark Web Monitoring should therefore be considered an early-warning security control, not a guarantee that all compromised information will be found.

Why Choose Soltech IT?

The real value of monitoring is what happens after an alert.

With Soltech IT, Dark Web Monitoring can form part of your wider managed cyber security strategy.

We can help with:

• Dark Web Monitoring
• Microsoft 365 Security
• Email Security
• Cyber Essentials
• Cyber Essentials Plus
• Managed Security Risk
• Vulnerability Management
• EDR
• MDR
• Security Awareness Training
• Phishing Simulation
• Cyber Security Auditing
• Penetration Testing
• Incident Response
• Backup & Disaster Recovery

If compromised information is identified, you have access to an IT and cyber security team that can help you secure the affected environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dark Web Monitoring?

It is a service that monitors specialist sources for exposed business information, credentials and other data that may indicate your organisation has been compromised.

Can you remove my information from the dark web?

There is no reliable way to guarantee that information already distributed through criminal networks can be removed. The priority is to secure affected accounts and prevent the information from being successfully used.

What should I do if my password is found?

Change the password immediately anywhere it is still being used. Ensure MFA is enabled and consider whether the same password was used on other accounts.

Does Dark Web Monitoring prevent cyber attacks?

No. It provides an early warning that information may have been exposed. It should be combined with other security controls.

Do small businesses need Dark Web Monitoring?

Potentially, yes. Small businesses can hold valuable customer, financial and business information and can be attractive targets for criminals.

Know When Your Business Information Has Been Exposed

You can't prevent every third-party data breach.

But you can improve your chances of finding out when your information has been exposed and take action before criminals successfully use it.

Don't Wait for a Criminal to Find Your Credentials First

Soltech IT Dark Web Monitoring provides an additional layer of visibility into your organisation's cyber risk.



Contact Soltech IT Ltd today to discuss Dark Web Monitoring for your business.

Meet the team

Jacob Fox

Operations Manager

Jacob Fox began his career training and qualifying in management at Tesco's, developing strong leadership and operational expertise from an early stage. With a solid background in IT and a passion for technology, Jacob joined Soltech IT several years ago and has steadily progressed through the company.

Starting as a Junior Engineer rising through the ranks to become Operations Manager. Today, Jacob plays a key role in overseeing operations and ensuring Soltech IT continues to deliver exceptional support and service.