Dark web monitoring services help assess the risks your business may be subject to and take action to safeguard your brand against cyber threats.

These services work to locate threats across all corners of the dark web, including on seemingly innocuous platforms like Telegram, and once the dangers are uncovered you can engage in risk remediation to reduce your company’s exposure to them, while also promoting business continuity.

However, if you want to truly reap the benefits of dark web monitoring solutions, you need to find the right partner. Let’s take a close look at five of the best dark web monitoring services you can partner with.

1) Bolster

Bolster offers robust insights and 24/7 dark web monitoring. With these actionable insights, Bolster allows organizations to create migitation workflows such as password reset or cross team notifications to ensure you reduce further damage. This solution allows you to simultaneously decrease your risk exposure and protect your brand.

Features

Bolster provides its users with real-time alerts, detailed assessment reports, and curated internal workflows. The Bolster team also offers guidance and expertise based on established best practices, as well as risk mitigation services including account takeover protection and phishing protection.

Strengths

Bolster is the most versatile and well-rounded dark web monitoring services provider on our list, with the ability to automate the time-consuming security operations monitoring and analytics and internal remediation strategies. As a true all-in-one partner that pairs exceptional software with industry expertise, their leading technology can significantly reduce your business’s exposure to cyber threats, with a proven 278% ROI.

Limitations

It’s important to know that Bolster is not the cheapest option on our list. Be that as it may, the initial investment of partnering with a reputable provider like Bolster will undoubtedly yield a huge return on investment, with better monitoring capabilities, automated security processes, and quick setup and deployment.

What Makes Bolster the Top Solution for Dark Web Monitoring?

Breached data prices are at all-time highs, which means that hackers have plenty of incentive to target brands for their confidential information. With that in mind, it’s important to partner with a actionable monitoring provider like Bolster — one that gives you custom security workflows to help mitigate risks on the dark web.

2) IntSights

IntSights, part of the Rapid7 family, is a comprehensive dark web monitoring services provider that provides real-time alerts, educational resources, and threat reporting.

Features

IntSights offers a mix of dark web monitoring solutions and tools. It is capable of assisting with data leakage protection and monitoring, as well as threat remediation.

Strengths

IntSights offers several user-friendly automation tools, each of which can streamline dark web monitoring. As a whole, IntSights is also very easy to set up, making it appealing to small to medium-sized businesses that don’t have much in terms of internal IT support.

Limitations

Despite its abundance of features, IntSights users report that the platform offers little in the way of customization options, which is particularly concerning for larger organizations that need tailored dark web monitoring services. The platform’s data quality has also been seen to fluctuate from month to month.

3) Mandiant

Mandiant, now part of Google cloud, uses an machine learning to rapidly scan the dark web and identify potential organizational threats. The platform offers visibility into intelligence pertaining to threats and leaked credentials or other corporate secrets.

Features

As Mandiant generates alerts through context, it is capable of shedding light quickly on both potential and imminent threats, thereby giving you ample opportunity to take action and proactively protect your brand.

Strengths

Mandiant’s greatest strength is its robust details of threats. Its ability to rapidly disseminate information about potential threats and it's extensive information on the threat actor are features that sets it apart from many other dark web monitoring services.

Limitations

The Mandiant platform offers litte customization and is difficult to use, according to online reviews. In addition, features such as the monitor lists show missing or false data.

4) IBM X-Force

IBM X-Force is a threat intelligence sharing platform that leverages artificial intelligence software to help organizations identify dark web risks. IBM X-Force allows users for rapidly search for threats on their platform and also provides a customer care service that assists when threats emerge.

Features

IBM X-Force offers threat visibility and reporting that includes a wide range of tools, each of which addresses a specific set of cybersecurity concerns, including phishing and malware attacks, among several others.

Strengths

IBM X-Force is backed by one of the world’s largest technology firms, so users will have access to round-the-clock support and industry-leading expertise. Additionally, given that the platform is powered by robust AI technology, it is capable of providing dynamic insights about your risk levels.

Limitations

IBM X-Force can be quite costly as it is mostly comprised of integrated security services and its implementation process is both labor-intensive and time-consuming.

5) MISP

Unlike its contemporaries on our list, MISP is an open-source dark web monitoring software that enables users to gather and share threat data with other businesses. By collaborating with other brands, organizations can cultivate a comprehensive view of the cyber threat landscape.

Features

MISP is built on a flexible data model that allows its users to assess information regarding a wide range of threats. It is also available at no upfront cost.

Strengths

As an open-source solution, MISP is highly customizable. It also includes many different visualization tools that you can use to tailor reports to meet the unique needs of your business.

Limitations

MISP lacks the sophistication of other options in our list. As a result, some threats may go overlooked, leaving you more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Configuring MISP is also a labor-intensive and costly process, as you will have to allocate a vast amount of IT resources to the project. Additionally, despite its nonexistent upfront cost, you will incur hidden expenses during implementation and configuration.

Dark Web Monitoring Solution FAQs

What Is Dark Web Monitoring?

Dark web monitoring itself refers to the process of scanning the open-source data of the dark web, while dark web monitoring services refer to the monitoring efforts offered by a third-party entity.

The service provider you choose to partner with will scan the dark web in search of sites or entities that are selling your company’s data, impersonating your brand, or otherwise engaging in any other malicious behavior that could negatively impact your company.

What Are the Most Important Things to Look for in a Dark Web Monitoring Solution?

There are many dark web monitoring services out there, but they are not all created equal. When searching for a solution for your business, make sure that you select an option that offers the following elements:

  • Real-time alerts
  • Reporting
  • Machine learning tools
  • Artificial intelligence software
  • Threat resolution support

Dark web monitoring solutions that provide all of these benefits at once can significantly reduce your exposure to cyber threats and help you preserve your brand image as a result.

Are There Any Free or Open-Source Tools for Dark Web Monitoring?

Yes, there are some free and open-source dark web monitoring tools available, but these solutions typically only address one or two aspects of dark web monitoring. They do not offer comprehensive solutions like an all-in-one dark web monitoring software would, meaning you’ll need to implement, and maintain, several different free tools to address all of your monitoring needs together.

Even with a free software approach, it’s very likely that you’ll still have blind spots or other vulnerabilities that go undetected, which is why a paid service is usually the most economical and practical option for businesses.

How Much Do Dark Web Monitoring Services Cost?

Dark web monitoring costs can vary greatly. Some providers offer basic dark web monitoring services free of charge but will require you to upgrade to a paid subscription to access their full range of support and tools.

A few dark web monitoring companies do not disclose their costs, instead requiring you to call for a custom quote. Practices like these are not uncommon, as providers package different monitoring and analysis tools based on your business size and needs.

Is Dark Web Monitoring Worth It for Your Business?

Dark web monitoring solutions have become essential in the modern digital ecosystem. The internet is swarming with threats, so you need to proactively protect your brand image and your customers. Failing to do so could leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks that could cost your business.

Bolster: The Best Dark Web Monitoring Services

Bolster’s dark web monitoring services provide you with instant insight into current and potential threats. Our platform is designed to proactively detect leaked data, hacker activity, and other dark web endeavors that pose a risk to your organization, employees, and your customers.

To ensure that you can put our data and scanning to good use, Bolster has created an intuitive and actionable user dashboard. At a glance, you can view robust visualizations detailing the dark web activity we’ve uncovered. From there, you can create custom workflows to meet your risk remediation strategy in a automated manner.

If you’d like to learn more, we invite you to schedule a custom demo today.