- For the first time, dark web scanning is integrated into a hosting panel
- Get security recommendations if your data is found
- Hostinger claims over 50% of customers find data previously disclosed on dark web
Many security tools already let you know when personal information has been leaked and shared on the dark web, but unless you check, you won’t know whether your data has been disclosed.
This can leave you at risk of your account being hacked, either through impersonation, or simply your site being accessed with your username and password.
Now, a new tool from Hostinger is looking to boost user security by offering built-in dark web scanning for the first time, integrating the tool directly into its hPanel service.
Dark web scanning
There are other free and paid tools available online to check whether your information has been leaked online, but this is the first tool of this type directly integrated into a hosting panel.
Hostinger says its initial trials found over half of customers had data disclosed on the dark web, and received warnings along with suggestions on how to improve security like updating passwords and ensuring two factor authentication is turned on.
The tool was developed by NordStellar, and is available as a separate product or can be activated in Hostinger’s hPanel starting from $1.49/mo.
It works by tracking keywords that are associated with your business in dark web forums, search engines, markets, and communities. It also scans for information related to employee and client data for comprehensive monitoring.
Why is this important?
The dark web is a decentralized and unregulated part of the internet. On it, you can find all sorts of illegal content and it’s usually the first place stolen information is shared or put up for sale.
Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities to gain access to databases and steal large volumes of data held on a service. Instead of spending time to use this information to target the people in the dataset, hackers will sell the bulk data to bad actors who in turn will then try to use the data illegally for financial gain. This could be in the form of credit card fraud or using the information to impersonate a user to gain access to things like an email address or a web hosting account.
Common security tools integrated into hosting panels include Web Application Firewalls (WAF) that improve security through actions like inspecting incoming traffic, checking for cross-site scripting, limiting requests to stop brute force attacks, and identifying bots. Panels also often include password management tools and two factor authentication, file monitoring, and malware scanners.
While these tools are often updated to patch the latest security vulnerabilities of your site, they cannot protect you or your business if your details are hacked and disclosed online from other digital services that you use. By monitoring the dark web for information linked to you other attack vectors are mitigated as it allows you to update your information or add more stringent security while you are at greater security risks
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